


Why Did You Leave Us Too?

by Carpenterfan03



Series: PLL Perfectionists/Descendants [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Perfectionists (TV 2019)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:46:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 48,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25400347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carpenterfan03/pseuds/Carpenterfan03
Summary: Ava wasn't the only one that got left behind when her parents went on the run. She had two little siblings that were also left behind as well. Her baby sister Mal and her little brother Carlos. In order to protect them from the media and to give them a better life she decides to have them go stay with their older cousin Jay in Auradon. While she moves on and goes to BHU. Everything is fine until about two-three years later Carlos and Mal show up to Beacon Heights to see their big sister after something happens in Auradon that made them have to leave.
Series: PLL Perfectionists/Descendants [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1935856
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. The Beginning Of It All

Ava was woken up by her little brother Carlos shaking her in panic. The young twelve year old boy had freaked out when he had woken up in their practically empty house and heard the sounds of his newborn baby sister Mal crying in the small bassinet that hadn’t been taken from them yet. 

The young boy had immediately picked up the tiny newborn and gotten up to go find his mom as he knew that Mal was still breastfeeding as she refused to drink formula. He completely panicked when he found that his parents weren’t anywhere and the last remaining things they had were gone. 

Carlos didn’t even hesitate as he ran to his older sister’s room and shook her awake while also trying to keep holding onto the newborn. “Ava! Ava! Ava! Get up Ava! Come on! Get up!” Carlos screamed out while trying to wake his sister up as he had no clue what to do. They were alone and they had nothing. 

Ava just groaned in annoyance at her annoying little brother as she figured he just wanted to annoy her and wake her up as Carlos loves doing that. “Carlos you’re so annoying! Go bother mom and dad! And let me sleep!” Ava told her brother as she didn’t realize that their parents had left. 

They had been struggling with the FBI and other issues for a while now as their father had stolen money from his clients and was being investigated. However nothing major had happened yet and their father had promised them everything would be okay, but now everything was gone including their parents. 

Carlos just ignored Ava’s attitude as he shook her again. “Ava please this isn’t a joke mom and dad are gone! I’m scared and Mal is hungry, but mom left. We have nothing to feed her!” Carlos cried out to his big sister as he had tried to stay strong, but now he was just so scared and worried. He wanted his parents, but they had just left. 

Ava immediately shot up when she heard the urgency and worry in her little brother’s voice. “What? What do you mean mom and dad left! Are you sure they didn’t just go out or something without telling us! They do that sometimes,” Ava told her brother as she was starting to panic too. She was the only one that was considered a legal adult and she had just turned eighteen. She wasn’t ready to deal with something like this. 

Not only that, but they had a newborn baby sister that was breastfeeding and if their mom left they were screwed. Carlos just shook his head as he looked at his big sister. “No they left! They took all of our remaining stuff and they left! Ava what do we do?” The young twelve year old told his sister as he was just so scared and freaked out. 

Ava just sighed as she looked at Carlos. “Okay let’s not panic. We’re going to be fine. I won’t let anything bad happen to you or Mal. Now let’s check the fridge, maybe there’s some milk pumped in there,” Ava told her little brother as she knew that it was her job as the oldest to look out for her little siblings and she had to be strong for them despite how completely freaked out she was. 

She then grabbed the newborn from Carlos as she went to the fridge hoping that their mother would have pumped some milk for Mal, but she began to panic when she saw that their mom hadn’t. Carlos just looked at Ava in panic again. “Ava there is none! Mal’s going to starve and we’re going to lose our baby sister! We can’t lose her too! Ava what do we do!” Carlos cried out as he began to worry more and more. 

Ava just sighed in frustration as Carlos’s panicking wasn’t helping this situation and it was making things worse. “Carlos stop acting like a scared little boy! You’re almost a teenager now! Man up! Mal is not going to die. We’re just going to have to get some formula and she’s just going to have to drink it since we’re out of options here,” Ava told her brother in frustration as she grabbed her car keys and her money and headed towards her car. 

Ava sighed in relief when she saw that her car was still there and so was Mal’s baby car seat as Ava had insisted that they leave the car seat in her car as her car was so much safer than their parents' car. Ava just quickly placed the crying newborn into the baby car seat as she buckled her up and Carlos got in next to the baby. 

When they got to the store Ava just headed straight towards the baby aisle as she grabbed some formula, a cheap bottle, and a few other supplies that they needed. She then walked straight towards the checkout and sighed in frustration when she realized that Carlos wasn’t with her as Carlos had gone by to check out the video games. 

Ava just groaned as she went to the video games section already knowing that Carlos would be there. She immediately grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the check out as she was not in the mood to be playing around in the store. When they got to the check out Carlos picked up some candy as he looked at Ava. “Ava can I get some,” Carlos asked his big sister, making Ava grab the candy from Carlos as she put it right back. 

“Carlos! What is wrong with you! We aren’t here to play video games or buy fun stuff! We are here to get some formula, so that our baby sister doesn’t starve to death! Since our parents decided to just leave us with nothing! This is barely going to be enough to cover this! Ava screamed out to her brother immediately causing Carlos to just look down feeling guilty. 

When Ava finished paying she got to the car and immediately opened up the formula and bottle, putting the formula inside the bottle and shaking it. She then handed the bottle to Carlos as she got into the driver’s seat. “Here feed her. I have to drive home and we can’t wait any longer,” Ava told her brother, making Carlos nod as he grabbed the bottle and tried to feed his baby sister. 

Carlos began to panic when Mal refused to drink the bottle as she pushed it away with her tongue and just kept crying. “Come on Mal you have to drink this. Mommy left us and you need to eat. It’s just milk please drink it,” Carlos begged his baby sister as she was refusing to drink the formula and she needed to eat. 

Carlos just looked over at Ava in panic. “Ava! She won’t drink it!” Carlos cried out, making Ava groan as she pulled into a fast food parking lot and they got out as it was the first place she found. She then ordered some food for herself and Carlos and then they sat down in a booth as she took the bottle from Carlos. 

“Mal you need to drink this. Mom is gone Mal and I’m not losing you too. So just drink it. I don’t care if you don’t like formula we have nothing else Mal. I’m not going to let you starve,” Ava told the baby as she shoved the bottle in the baby’s mouth and had to hold back her worries when the baby continued to cry and push it away. 

“Mal why are you doing this to me? Why can’t you just be an easy baby?” Ava told the baby as she continued to try and feed her the bottle, but Mal just kept pushing it away with her tongue and refusing the bottle. 

She was starting to really freak out. She already lost her parents because they had just left and now her not even one month old baby sister was refusing to drink the formula and she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t think she could handle losing another family member. She had only known Mal for a few weeks, but she loved her so much and she wouldn’t be able to handle it if she couldn’t get Mal to eat and she lost her. 

Ava just started crying as she looked at the tiny baby that was still refusing to eat. Carlos had gone to use the restroom, so it was just her with Mal and she was relieved that Carlos wasn’t there to see her crying and full of worry. Carlos was just such a sweet boy and he had such a good heart making him worry constantly. And Ava didn’t want to worry him. He was just a kid; he didn’t deserve to be worried about this situation that was her job as the adult. 

Ava just looked at Mal as she held the bottle up to her deciding to try one last time. She was desperate now. “Come on Mal please. Please just drink this. Mal please. I am begging you right now to just drink this bottle. Mal I’m serious mom isn’t here and we have nothing else. Mal please drink this I can’t lose you too. I just can’t. Come on Mal don’t do this to me and Carlos we both love you and we can’t lose you too. Please just drink this please,” Ava begged out to the tiny newborn while letting tears fall down her face as she couldn’t control it anymore. She was completely desperate at this point. 

Ava stopped crying when the tiny newborn finally didn’t push the bottle away and she sighed in relief when Mal finally drank it. Carlos came back from the restroom and immediately smiled as he ran over to the both in happiness. “She’s drinking it! She’s actually drinking it! I can’t believe that you actually got her to drink it! Yes! She’s going to be okay! I’m so happy and relieved right now!” Carlos screamed out as he was so happy and he forgot that they were in public. 

Ava just laughed a bit as she looked at her excited little brother. She didn’t blame him from getting excited she was too, but she knew to keep her excitement inside as they were in public. “I know I’m so happy and relieved too, but Carlos we’re still in public plus you’re scaring her, so please lower your voice,” Ava told the young boy who just blushed red in embarrassment as he realized people were staring at him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene I’m just so happy that she’s finally eating. I really thought we were going to lose her from her refusing to eat,” the young twelve year old told his big sister, making Ava give him a sad smile as she nodded. 

“Yeah I know me too. She really scared me,” Ava told her brother as she just continued to bottle feed their newborn sister while trying to keep small talk with Carlos to keep a little sense of normalcy for them while they waited for their food as Ava didn’t like how scared and worried her brother was and she wanted to give him some normalcy to make him feel better and less worried since she was worried too, but she didn’t want Carlos to be. His job was to let her worry about everything as he was still just a child and he wasn’t even a teen yet. 

Finally about thirty minutes later they finished eating and headed back to their house. When they got back Carlos and Ava both froze in panic when they saw all of the FBI cars at their house. “Oh no! FBI! What do we do!” Carlos cried out in panic again as he was freaking out. Ava just took a deep breath as she was panicking too, but didn’t want Carlos to know that. “Relax Carlos everything is going to be fine. I can handle this. Come on just hold Mal for me,” Ava told the young twelve year old who just nodded as he grabbed the newborn from the baby car seat and followed after his big sister. 

  
  



	2. Fighting Against The FBI

When they got out of the car there were so many FBI agents that were pretty much surrounding their house. Carlos just quickly ran over to Ava as he was terrified by all of the FBI agents that were at his house.

“Ava I’m scared I don’t like this,” the young twelve year old told his big sister and the baby in his arms seemed to agree with him as she began to wake up from her nap and start sobbing. Ava just sighed in frustration as she grabbed Carlos holding him protectively to her as she pushed past all of the people blocking her from their house. “Move this is my house!” Ava screamed out as she continued to push past everyone and get to her house. 

When they reached the door they were immediately stopped by an FBI agent that was basically guarding the door. “Are you Ava Jalali?” The agent asked the clearly already frustrated girl. Ava just looked at the FBI agent in annoyance. “Yes and why does it matter?” Ava told the FBI agent as she was already having a horrible day and didn’t need to add getting investigated by the FBI on there as well. 

The lady just gave her a sad look when she noticed that Ava wasn’t alone as she had a young boy with her that was holding onto what appeared to be a sobbing newborn baby. “Can we go inside? We need you to answer some questions about your parents and their whereabouts this shouldn’t take long,” the FBI agent told Ava making Ava sigh as she didn’t want to be difficult with Carlos and Mal present as she didn’t want to look suspicious and get herself investigated too as she was the only family that Carlos and Mal had other than their older cousin Jay and she didn’t want to get Carlos and Mal thrown into the system. 

She just unlocked the door and allowed the lady inside. “Look I don’t want to be difficult, but I don’t have any clue where my parents are. They just left us. They took off sometime between last night and this morning because I was woken up to my twelve year old brother freaking out because our parents had left and taken everything with them,” Ava told the agent sadly.

“I see and your parents just left their three children alone. Two of which are young minors. I find it very hard to believe that they would do that. So I’m going to give you one last opportunity to tell me where your parents are. I find it very hard to believe that they would just leave you three behind, especially a young child and a newborn,” the FBI agent told Ava, making Ava angry and frustrated as she was trying to not be difficult, but this lady wasn’t listening to her. 

She already told her the truth. And Carlos was practically shaking from fear as he stayed next to her and just stayed silent afraid to do anything else while he also held on protectively to his baby sister. She hated how scared this lady was making her younger siblings and she just wanted this lady to leave. She was already having a very difficult day. 

Ava just carefully pushed her little brother behind her and stood up tall in order to protect him and their baby sister from the FBI agent as she was the oldest and she loved her little siblings. She would do anything for them, they were all she had left and she wasn’t going to let some lady get to them.

“I already told you they left us with nothing. In fact the reason we weren’t even here was because we had to quickly go out and buy formula because our own mother couldn’t even bother to leave some breast milk for her newborn daughter, so that she doesn’t starve to death! I told you everything already. You are scaring my little siblings and this is still our house so get out!” Ava told the agent in frustration and anger as she had too many other things to deal with already and she was also trying to protect her little siblings. 

The lady just sighed as she quickly left the practically empty house as she got into her car and all of the FBI agents finally left their house. Ava sighed a bit in relief as she just picked up the tiny newborn from Carlos and went to go get the bassinet, so that she could let the baby sleep while also trying to figure out what to do next. 

When Ava left Carlos became curious by the sliding door by the window as his father had always warned him to stay away from it, but he was really curious now and Ava was busy with Mal. He just quickly slid the door and completely froze when he found a duffel bag full of money and a note from their dad apologizing for leaving them. 

Carlos had no clue where all the money came from, but he was pretty sure it was the stolen money. “Ava! Ava! Ava! Ava!” The young twelve year old screamed out for his big sister as he didn’t know what to do about the money. Ava quickly came running into the room as she looked at her little brother in worry. 

“Carlos what happened?” Ava asked the young boy making Carlos just hold up the money to Ava and Ava froze when she saw it. “Where did you find this!” Ava practically screamed at her little brother as he wasn’t supposed to find that money ever. Her dad had told her about his hiding spot and made her promise to never tell Carlos about it. 

Carlos just froze in fear as he looked at his big sister. “I just found it under there. Ava we have to turn that money in! That is probably the money that dad stole! Maybe if we turn it in then mom and dad can come back!” Carlos told his big sister as he began to get hopeful that if they turned in the money that his parents would be off the hook and everything would be normal again.

Ava just sighed as she placed the money back in the hiding spot and picked Mal back up. “Carlos we can’t turn this money in. You need to forget that you saw this. And Carlos I know that you want mom and dad back, but Carlos they aren’t coming back. They are criminals right now. Especially now that they are on the run. Turning in the money isn’t going to help our parents. We are on our own now,” Ava told the young boy making Carlos start to cry as everything just finally hit him. His parents were really gone. 

“Ava what’s going to happen to us now?” Carlos asked his big sister as he was really scared now. He was afraid that he and Mal would end up in the system as Ava was their only relative besides their cousin Jay and Jay wasn’t eighteen yet and Ava was barely eighteen. 

Ava just sighed as she honestly didn’t know what was going to happen, but she couldn’t tell her little brother that. Carlos was relying on her right now. “I don’t know yet, but everything is going to be fine. Just go work on your homework that you didn’t do yet and just don’t worry about this. Everything is going to turn out just fine I promise,” Ava told her younger brother and Carlos didn’t even argue like he normally would as he just quickly grabbed his backpack and ran off to go do his homework. 

Once Ava was sure that Carlos was out of reach she placed her newborn sister in the bassinet and just collapsed onto the floor sobbing as she could finally let her emotions of the day out as Mal was sleeping and Carlos was in the other room with headphones working on homework. She couldn’t believe that her parents had just left without even saying anything and they had just left her behind with her two little siblings. She had no clue what to do. 

Before Ava could compose herself the doorbell rang immediately waking up the newborn and making her cry. Ava just groaned as she wiped away her tears trying to compose herself as she picked up Mal and opened the door. Ava froze in panic and fear when she saw that it was social services at her door. “Oh you have got to be kidding me,” Ava accidentally said out loud as she couldn’t believe how unlucky her day was. 

  
  



	3. Author’s Note

Author’s Note: This isn't a chapter, but I just wanted to let you guys know that I've changed the first chapter and made it longer as I wanted to add more emotions to it since the first time I just wanted to get a chapter posted, but I was rereading it today and felt like adding more to it. You guys can check that out, but you don't have to I just wanted to let those of you that have read the first chapter know incase you wanted to check out the longer first chapter.


	4. Big Decision

Ava just stood at the door in shock and panic, not knowing what to do. Finally after a few more minutes of silence Ava managed to get some words out. “Um hi may I help you,” Ava managed to get out as she looked at the social service worker hoping that this was just a misunderstanding. She began to panic when she realized it wasn’t as she was terrified of losing her siblings.

“You’re Ava Jalali correct? May I come in,” the social worker told Ava making Ava silently panic on the inside while trying to keep calm on the outside. As she allowed the lady inside. Before Ava could say anything Carlos came over as he had heard the doorbell and was confused and curious about who would be at the door. 

“Ava who was at the door. Is that social services! Oh no! There is no way I’m going into the system! Ava do something! I don’t want to end up in foster care! Please Ava you can’t let them take us!” Carlos told his big sister in panic as he had come over and saw that it was a lady from social services standing inside of their house.

Ava just sighed as she looked at Carlos while rocking a bit to keep Mal sleeping as the baby had fallen back to sleep. “Carlos relax, everything is going to be fine. This nice lady is just going to have a quick conversation with me. It’s nothing to worry about,” Ava told the young boy, making Carlos just worry more as he knew that his big sister was just saying that.

His parents had told him that everything would be fine and then they took off leaving them behind with nothing. Then Ava promises everything would be okay, but then the FBI showed up at their house. And now Ava was claiming everything would be okay when there was social services at their door right now and Carlos wasn’t stupid. He knew why they were actually there and that thought scared him so much.

Carlos just stood there staring at his big sister in shock as he couldn’t believe how calm she was being about all of this. He was terrified. Before Carlos could say anything back the social services lady came back over as she had finished examining the house and Ava immediately put on a fake smile giving Carlos a look telling him to do the same. 

“Okay so the house seems pretty safe. Now would you mind if we had a little talk with you,” the social services lady asked Ava making Ava sigh as she handed Mal to Carlos. “Carlos, can you take Mal up to her room for a nao and stay with her please,” Ava told her little brother, making Carlos just nod as he quickly took Mal up to her room. “Alright come on Mal let’s go nigh nigh,” Carlos told his baby sister as he took her to her room. 

Once the lady was sure that Carlos was out of the room she looked at Ava sadly as she handed her papers. “Your parents have just relinquished their parental rights to Carlos and Mal Jalali,” the lady told the now shocked girl as Ava couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

Yes their parents had left, but to hear that they were giving up their parental rights was just shocking and it made her angry. She couldn’t believe her parents would just completely give Mal and Carlos up. “How could they do that to them? What does that mean for them?” Ava asked the lady in anger and worry as she didn’t want her siblings to get thrown into foster care with strangers. 

The lady just sighed as she looked at Ava feeling bad for the young adult. “Well usually we prefer to put children with a relative after a situation like this where the parents are unable to care for their children anymore. And considering how you are their only relative listed and you are eighteen we are giving you the option to request to become their new guardian or to adopt them. And we understand that you are young, but unfortunately if you don’t sign the papers to take guardianship of them or to adopt them then we will be forced to put them in the system as you are their only relative according to our records and we will need to place them where we see fit as children need a guardian,” the social services lady told Ava making Ava stare at the papers in shock. 

She didn’t know what to do at this point. Becoming their official legal guardian just terrified her. She was only 18 and she didn’t know if she would be ready to be their official guardian. It was one thing to look out for them for a little bit, but to be listed as their legal guardian and have rights as basically their parents just terrified her. 

If she did this she would be giving up her freedoms as a new adult. She wouldn’t get to go out and be a free woman who could go out and party with friends whenever she wanted to. She would have responsibilities and she would basically be a mother. Especially since Mal wasn’t even a month old yet. If she did this she would be committing 18 years of her life to raise Mal. And six of those would also be her raising Carlos as well. She wasn’t ready to commit to such a big responsibility like that. 

However if she didn’t do this she would never see her siblings again. They would be thrown into foster care to be raised by strangers and she would never even know how they were doing. The thought of her siblings being raised horribly by strangers in foster care just completely terrified her and to never see her siblings again also terrified her. 

She was torn and she didn’t know what to do. This whole situation was a lose lose situation for her. She hated her parents for doing this to her right now. She was supposed to be graduating high school in a few weeks and having a fresh start in college. She wanted to go to college and start over not having to deal with the mess her father made, but now she was having to make a choice between herself and her little siblings. 

Before she could make a decision Carlos came running down towards them. “Carlos what are you doing? I told you to go stay in Mal’s room with her,” Ava told the young boy as she didn’t want Carlos to hear their conversation. 

“I know, but I can’t stop worrying. I need to know what’s going to happen to me and Mal,” the young twelve year old told his big sister, making the social worker just sigh as she handed Ava some papers. 

“You have until Monday to make a decision,” the social worker told Ava as she gave Carlos a small smile and then left the house. Once the social worker left Carlos just looked at his big sister as he was confused and worried. “Ava what did she mean by you have until Monday? What is she talking about,” the young boy asked his big sister making Ava sigh again in frustration as she looked at her brother. 

“I’ll tell you later. And by the way when I say stay with Mal I mean stay with Mal. You can’t just barge into grown up conversations like that. Now I know you didn’t finish your homework. Go do it because I’m not going to let you slack off in school right now. And I have to go check on Mal since you were supposed to stay with her, but you didn’t,” Ava practically screamed at her brother as she made her way to Mal’s nursery to check on her newborn sister while also trying to keep herself busy as she didn’t want to think about the hard decision she had to made. 

“Ugh you’re so unfair! Just tell me what she was talking about! I’m not a baby! And I already finished my homework! It's the weekend! We don’t have much homework over the weekend!” Carlos screamed out to his big sister as he was sick of her treating him like some little kid. He wasn’t a little kid anymore and he didn’t Ava to baby him. 

Carlos groaned when he realized that his big sister couldn’t hear him as she was already up the stairs. He just picked up the papers that Ava had placed down as he began to read them. The young twelve year old just stared at the papers in shock and anger as he couldn’t believe what he was reading. 

He just went running up to his sister’s nursery and looked at Ava who was bottle feeding Mal again. He didn’t care if he disrupted her; he was upset and he needed to get his emotions out. 

“Mom and dad gave us up! And you knew that! That’s what you wouldn’t tell me!” The young boy screamed out while slamming the papers down in front of her as he was angry. His parents just completely abandoned them and his own sister was trying to keep that from him. Ava just lost her grip on the bottle as she looked at Carlos in shock not knowing what to say as she was not expecting Carlos to ever see those papers. 

  
  



	5. Leaving Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and let me know what you guys think of this story so far since I could really use the feedback. Anyway this is the last chapter that is set in the past as my next chapters from now on will be about two or three years later after Ava had already been going to BHU for a few years while Carlos and Mal had been living in Auradon. I may still do flashback chapters or chapters with flashbacks to show how it was like for each of them in their new homes, but other than that the rest of the story will be set two or three years later from this point when Ava is about 20 or 21, Carlos is about 14 or 15, and Mal is about 2 or 3. 

Ava just groaned as she picked up the bottle as the newborn started crying again from her hunger. Ava was really struggling with this whole parenting thing and she was already exhausted and it had been less than a day. She honestly didn’t know what she would do if this became her everyday. 

“Ugh look what you did! I just got her to calm down and now she’s crying again! Carlos I can’t deal with both of you right now! Just go to your room and we can talk after I finish dealing with Mal!” Ava screamed out to her brother as she was just so frustrated. Looking after a newborn was exhausting and stressful and on top of that she had to keep an eye on her twelve year old brother as well. 

Carlos just huffed as he was angry and he wanted answers and his big sister was refusing to give them to him. “Fine! I’ll be downstairs playing video games! But as soon as you get her sleeping I want answers!” Carlos screamed out as he went downstairs to play some video games and clear his head as video games always calmed him down. 

Carlos just sat down and started to play video games, but he dropped the controller in panic when people began to surround his house with cameras and microphones and they started taking a bunch of pictures of him. Carlos just sighed in frustration as he tried to cover the windows, but people just continued to take pictures of him. 

Carlos without thinking just got up and headed towards the door as he began to open it. He was hoping that they would be nice enough to leave if he asked them politely. Just as Carlos was about to open up the door to tell the people to leave Ava came back down with Mal and her eyes immediately widened in panic when she saw what was going on. 

“Carlos! What are you doing! Do not open that door!” Ava screamed out as she quickly ran to him, shoving him away from the door to stop him from opening the door and making things worse for himself. She couldn’t believe Carlos would just open the door to strangers.

“But Ava, they were taking pictures of me while I was just playing video games. I was just going to ask them if they could please stop since I don’t like that. It’s scaring me and it makes me uncomfortable,” Carlos told his big sister, making her sigh as Carlos was just too innocent for his own good sometimes. 

She hated that those paparazzi were harassing her little brother and taking pictures of him without his permission especially since he was still a minor. She just practically shoved the newborn at him as she pointed up the stairs. 

“Go upstairs to Mal’s nursery with her and do not come down until I tell you to. I’m serious Carlos stay up stairs. I’m going to handle this, but you need to stay up there with Mal. I don’t want them harassing you or Mal, so go,” Ava sternly told her brother, making Carlos nod as he really didn’t like the press and paparazzi and wanted to get as far away from them as possible. 

“Okay Ava I promise I’ll stay in my room with her and I’ll lock the door too. Now come on Mally you can watch me play video games in my room. Usually Dude is my audience, but the more the merrier,” Carlos told his two sisters as he quickly went up the stairs and grabbed Mal’s purple bouncer as he took it to his room and placed her down inside of it. He then locked the door and turned on his video games to keep himself busy and to stop himself from worrying about everything going on. 

Once Ava was sure that her baby sister and little brother were safe upstairs she opened the door. “Hey! What is wrong with you people! This is my house and you are trespassing! Get away from my house! And stop harassing my brother! He's a twelve year old minor! Stop taking pictures of him and my family! He didn’t do anything, so leave him be! You are taking pictures of a minor without permission! Just get out of here now!” Ava screamed out as she was angry that people were trespassing on her house and taking pictures of her little brother and their family. She was so done with all of this. 

The people quickly left and once they left Ava slammed the door as she grabbed the guardianship papers. She had just made up her mind on what she was going to do. She was sick of her siblings getting put in between this whole mess. She needed to stop this now. And she needed to get them away from this mess, but she was not going to let them get thrown into foster care.

Carlos came down as he was frightened when he heard the door slam hard. “Ava what’s going on,” the young twelve year old asked his older sister as he was starting to worry when he found her angrily signing some papers. 

Ava just ignored him as she continued to fill out the papers. “Ava seriously you’re scaring me. What’s going on,” Carlos told his sister again as she had just ignored his question again. Ava still didn’t respond as she grabbed her phone quickly finding her slightly younger cousin Jay’s number and pressed on it. 

Carlos decided to just watch as he realized that Ava wasn’t going to answer him. He froze when he heard Ava talking to his older cousin Jay. “Jay I need you to come and get Carlos and Mal. I’m about to enroll Carlos in Auradon Prep and Mal is coming with him,” Ava told her slightly younger cousin, making Jay confused as to why Ava would be the one to do that instead of his uncle and aunt. 

Jay just stared at his phone in shock as he decided to answer his slightly older cousin. “Ava what’s going on? Why are you the one enrolling Carlos into Auradon Prep? And why is Mal coming with him? Did something happen to your parents? Ava tell me what’s going on,” Jay told his cousin as he began to really start worrying. 

Ava just sighed in frustration as she answered her cousin. “Jay I’ll tell you when you get here. I don’t feel like having this conversation over the phone. Just hurry up and get here. I want them in Auradon as soon as possible,” Ava told her cousin in frustration as she didn’t want to answer a bunch of questions about their parents, and she just wanted Jay to come and get Carlos and Mal away from all of this mess. 

Jay just sighed as he realized Ava wasn’t going to tell him anything until he got to her house. “Okay Ava I’m on my way now. I’ll be there soon, but you better tell me what’s going on when I get there. Now I’ll see you soon,” Jay told his cousin as he hung up. 

Once Ava was off the phone Carlos decided to make himself known as he came out from his spot on the stairs. “Ava why were you talking to Jay? And what do you mean by us going to Auradon? Are you leaving us too?” Carlos asked his sister with worry and hurt in his voice as he had just heard her tell their cousin to come and get him and Mal. 

Ava just froze as she had been so angry and so focused on getting Mal and Carlos away from all of this mess with their parents that she hadn’t realized that Carlos had been standing there and had heard everything. “Carlos I didn’t realize you were there. Carlos I was talking to Jay because I’m going to get you enrolled in Auradon Prep like Jay and you can stay with him. And I want you to take Mal with you,” Ava told her little brother and before she could explain why Carlos interrupted her as he was seriously shocked, angry, and hurt by what she just said. 

“So you’re just going to leave us too! You’re just like mom and dad! I thought you cared about us! But I guess Mal and I are just messing with your new adult life and you need to get rid of us by dumping us on our cousin!” Carlos screamed out as he was angry and hurt by what his big sister was doing to him and their newborn sister. He trusted his big sister and now she was just throwing him and Mal away like nothing. 

“Carlos I can explain!” Ava was interrupted as Carlos didn’t want to listen to anymore things from his big sister. He was too angry and hurt to listen to another word she had to say. “Save it I don’t care! I’m going to be in my room with Mal staying away from you, so we don’t keep being annoying burdens!” Carlos screamed out as he ran up the stairs to his room slamming the door and then picking up the newborn and holding her to him.

“Well Mal I guess it’s just you and me since our big sister doesn’t care about us and just wants to give us away to our cousin. I promise Mally I will never be like our big sister. I’m going to stay with you no matter what because unlike her I care about you,” Carlos told his newborn sister and smiled when she grabbed his finger with her tiny hands as if saying she understood even though he knew that she was way too young to understand it still made him happy. 

Once Carlos ran up the stairs in anger Ava just made her way up the stairs as well and went to Carlos’s door. As she hadn’t meant to hurt her little brother, but she wanted to protect him and Mal. 

They didn’t need to be living in shame from what their parents did. She wanted to get them away from all of this in a new place where they could have a normal life and not have to be compared to their father. But she hadn’t been thinking about how that would look to Carlos. She was feeling horrible for hurting her little brother. 

Ava just sighed as she knocked on his door. She was hurt as well as she had heard what he had said about her to Mal. She couldn’t believe Carlos would think that she didn’t care about them. She loved them which is why she had to send them to Auradon with Jay. 

She needed them to have a fresh start and she couldn’t go because she had already been accepted into BHU and needed to go to college if she was planning on raising Mal and Carlos. Them going to Auradon was just a temporary thing until she could finish college and get a stable job to support them. 

“Carlos please open the door. Just let me explain please,” Ava practically begged her little brother, but Carlos still wouldn’t budge as he refused to open the door. Ava just sighed as she sat down by his door and started crying as she had messed up with her little brother too. She had already lost her parents and now her little brother was angry and upset at her just because she was trying to protect him and their baby sister. 

She managed to stop crying a bit when after a few hours there was a knock at the door as Jay had arrived. He took one look at his slightly older cousin and immediately pulled her into a hug and she broke down crying on him again. He had no clue what was going on, but he didn’t care. He was here to help out his cousins. 

After a few more minutes of Ava sobbing on Jay she finally explained everything to him and he nodded in understanding. He understood why she was doing this and if he had been in the same position he would have done the same. 

“Ava it’s okay. I agree with what you’re doing. Carlos will eventually forgive you for this. You’re doing the right thing. If I was in your position I would do the same thing. You are protecting them if they stayed with you they would get bullied and harassed by what your parents did. They need a fresh start and so do you. Now come on let’s go get Carlos and Mal ready to leave it should be easy since they don’t have much stuff left,” Jay told his slightly older cousin who just wiped away her tears feeling a small bit better about this as she just nodded her head and went with Jay upstairs to get Mal and Carlos’s things, so they could leave. 

After a few more hours they managed to finally get Carlos and Mal out of his room and pack up all of their remaining things which wasn’t much as they had lost a lot of things already from what their father did. Carlos just looked at his sister as he was still hurt, but he was going to miss her. He just ran over to Ava and hugged her tightly. 

“Ava please don’t do this to us. I love you and I don’t want you to leave us too! Please Ava I’m sorry for getting mad at you and comparing you to mom and dad! Just please don’t send us away! Please Ava I don’t want to lose you too!” Carlos cried out as he continued to cling to his older sister making Ava start crying again as she didn’t want to do this either, but she needed to protect him and Mal. 

“Carlos it’s going to be okay. You and Mal are going to have a better life in Auradon with Jay. You two can start over and have a normal life in Auradon. I’m doing this to protect you both. I love you and Mal, so much which is why I have to do this. I’m going to miss you two so much, but I’m doing this for you guys,” Ava told her little brother as she finally released him and then picked up Mal. 

“Hey there Mal I know you’re way too young to understand what’s going on, but just know I love you and I’m doing this for you,” Ava told the tiny newborn as she kissed her forehead and then handed her to Carlos hugging him one last time before he headed out the door with Jay to go to Auradon. Right before Jay could leave Ava quickly ran over and hugged him. “Thank you so much for this. I owe you one,” Ava told her little cousin making Jay laugh a bit as he hugged her back.

“It’s no problem Ava. We’re family and I’m here to help my family. Now we should probably get going. Bye Ava I’ll talk to you later okay. Take care,” Jay told his older cousin as he released himself from her and got into his car once he was sure he had Carlos and Mal’s stuff situated along with them and then he took off back to his home in Auradon. 

Once Jay left Ava went back into her empty house and just broke down sobbing again as she realized how much she was going to miss her little siblings. She was all alone now and she was already regretting this, but this was for their own good. And at least now she could finally go to her dream school BHU. She was excited that she could go to BHU as it was her dream college, but seeing her house so empty right now and not hearing any sounds at all in her normally very noisy house was really making her feel so alone and sad.

  
  



	6. The Run Aways

Carlos sighed as he held his two year old sister close to him while they were hiding in his closet. It had been two almost three years since his big sister had sent him and Mal to Auradon and he hadn’t even heard from her in those two almost three years. 

Carlos was no longer that innocent little twelve year old that he once was; he was now a tough and mature almost fifteen year old teenager that was basically raising his toddler sister. And trying to keep her safe from the horrible situations they were having to live with. He hated Auradon right now and he really wishes that his big sister hadn’t sent them away. 

Auradon had been a good place for a while, but about a year ago their older cousin had started to hang out with a bad crew of kids and he began to stop showing up much to their dorm. He also began to start smoking and stealing a lot. Which meant that Carlos had to basically raise his baby sister on his own. 

And the smoking had caused Mal to have a lot of breathing and health problems as she was still so young and her immune system wasn’t that strong. Carlos loved his cousin, but he hated when Jay would hang out with his crew as Jay became a totally different person and that was scary. 

He missed the old Jay that used to protect him and look out for him and Mal, but the new Jay that liked to steal and smoke was not the Jay that he liked at all. Everything was even worse now as Jay had gotten himself arrested for stealing and they were now living with Jay’s evil girlfriend. 

Jay’s girlfriend was extremely mean and scary and she absolutely hated young kids and Mal specifically. Carlos had even discovered a few weeks ago that she would hurt Mal sometimes after he noticed some bruises on the tiny toddler and had asked her where she got them in which the small girl had made him promise not to tell anyone and she told him that Jay’s girlfriend was giving her owies for not behaving she wasn’t allowed to tell anyone. Carlos wanted to stop it, but he couldn’t do anything as he was still in school and she had everyone fooled into thinking she was a good person.

“Cawos I scawew! Se gonna huw me!” The small toddler cried out making Carlos quickly put his hand over Mal’s mouth to keep her quiet as he heard the sounds of Jay’s evil girlfriend coming closer to where they were hiding. 

Carlos just held his breath as the footsteps got closer and closer, but he breathed a sigh of relief once he heard the front door open and shut. 

The small two year old smiled as she began to scream out excitedly before Carlos could warn her. “Yay! Scawy wawy go bye bye!” The small girl screamed out and Carlos just nodded after making sure she was actually gone. 

When he was sure she had actually left he opened the closet door and quickly grabbed a backpack as he began to throw all of their things into the backpack as he was done with Auradon. 

He didn’t have many friends except for Ben and his crush Jane, but he could always keep in contact with them online. He needed to get out of Auradon because it was just too unsafe at this point and he refused to let his sister get hurt more. He was her older brother and it was hurting him that he was letting people hurt her. He couldn’t do it anymore. It wasn’t hard for him to pack as they didn’t have much since they couldn’t afford much. 

All they really had was some clothes and some hyengine materials. Mal had one pacifier that she was attached to and she wore it around her neck and she had one stuffed animal that was a stuffed dragon along with a few bottles that she still drank from as she refused to use sippy cups and Carlos didn’t feel like forcing her to give it up as he honestly didn’t care. That was all she had other than a few clothes. She also had a crib, but he couldn’t bring that with him as it was too big. 

Mal just looked at her big brother in confusion as she didn’t understand what he was doing. “Cawos wew we go? Aw we go on twi?” The small toddler asked her big brother and Carlos just quickly finished packing up their bag as he looked at his small sister. 

“No Mal we’re not going on a trip. We’re leaving forever, let's go,” Carlos told the toddler as he grabbed the bag and his dog leash and then picked her up and made his way out the door with her. Mal just looked at her brother in even more confusion when she realized that it was just her and Carlos leaving. “Cawos wew Ay an scawy wawy?” The toddler asked him as she was confused about why Jay and his girlfriend weren’t coming with them.

Carlos just sighed as he kept walking towards the bus station. “Mal, Jay is in big boy time out, remember and we’re leaving the scary lady behind because she’s mean and evil,” Carlos told his baby sister as he continued to rush his way towards the bus station, so they could leave before Jay’s girlfriend could notice they had left. 

The small toddler just nodded as she began to squirm wanting to walk on her own, but Carlos just continued to hold her as he didn’t have time to waste letting Mal try to walk as the toddler was very slow when walking and he didn’t have time to wait for her. They had to leave quickly. 

“Cawos I wan dow! I wanna waw! I bi giwl!” The toddler cried out as she continued to squirm in her older brother’s arms. Carlos just sighed as he tightened his grip while also holding onto his dog leash as he had brought his dog Dude with him as well. “Mal please don’t be difficult with me right now. We have to leave quickly and it’s faster when I carry you,” Carlos told the toddler who just crossed her arms and huffed. 

“Bu I bi giwl! I waw! I waw! I waw! Dowy waws!” The toddler cried out, making Carlos just groan in frustration as he finally gave in to the toddler already regretting it when the toddler grabbed his hand and walked very slowly as she toddled her way towards the bus station. 

About half way there the toddler stopped as she looked at Carlos. “Uppie! I wan cawy! I no waw no mow!” The toddler cried out as she was tired from walking and wanted Carlos to carry her again, making Carlos just sigh in relief as he picked the toddler back up and they started walking quickly towards the bus station again. 

When they got to the bus station Carlos paid for a ticket and sighed in relief when they didn’t question him or Mal on their ages as he wasn’t supposed to be allowed to travel with her, but the people didn’t question it and he was relieved by that. Once he got on the bus he placed Mal down on his lap and Dude next to her.

Once they were on the bus and it had taken off Carlos began to relax as he held onto his baby sister. “Cawos wew we go?” The small toddler asked her big brother again as Carlos had barely told her anything except that they were leaving. Carlos just smiled as he looked at his baby sister as he was no longer worried and panicking and he could relax as they were escaping. “We are about to have a family reunion,” Carlos told his sister, making the toddler look at him in confusion as the only family she knew was Carlos, Jay, and Jay’s scary friend. 

“Wa da me?” The toddler asked her brother, making Carlos smile. “You’ll see,” Carlos told the toddler and the toddler just nodded as she placed her pacifier back into her mouth and just laid her head on Carlos falling asleep on her big brother. When they finally made it to their destination Carlos picked up the toddler and their things along with his dog and made his way towards BHU where he knew that his big sister would be. 

When he made it to BHU he placed down the now awake and hyper toddler as he grabbed her hand and made his way to his big sister’s dorm as he knew what dorm she was in because back when they first went to live with Jay in Auradon they used to keep contact with her, but that stopped over time. 

When they made it to the dorm he just knocked on the door and Ava opened it in annoyance as it was late and nobody should be bothering her at this time. Ava froze when she opened the door and came face to face with a teenager dressed in red and black leather with bleached hair and a small toddler with purple dyed hair and purple clothes with a purple pacifier hanging around her neck like a necklace and she was standing next to the teen with a huge smile on her little face as she was curious about the new room.

Carlos looked at his shocked big sister. “Did you miss us?” Carlos told his big sister sarcastically as she was just staring at him and Mal in complete shock not saying anything as she didn’t know what to say. 

  
  



	7. Did You Miss Us?

Ava just continued to stare at the teeneger and the toddler in complete shock. She couldn’t believe that this almost fully grown teenager was her once adorable little brother and she was completely shocked to see that the small toddler was her once newborn sister that could barely even open her eyes. Ava finally snapped out of her shock as she allowed Carlos and Mal inside in which Carlos quickly went into the room however Mal just stood by the door afraid to enter. 

Carlos just sighed when he saw Mal just staring at Ava in fear he hated what that evil lady had done to his sweet innocent baby sister. “Mal come on puppy. We can trust her. Just come inside okay. I promise she’s a good person. She is our big sister. She won’t hurt you,” Carlos whispered to his baby sister and Mal just looked at him. 

“Pomise?” The toddler asked her big brother as she held up her pinky and Carlos just smiled as he connected his pinky with hers. “I promise Mal. I would never take you here if I didn’t trust her,” Carlos told his sister who just smiled.

“Otay!” The toddler screamed out as she went running into the dorm happily as she was no longer afraid. Once they entered the dorm Ava shut the door and looked at Carlos as she was shocked and confused as to why they would show up at her dorm in the middle of the night after almost three years. 

“Carlos what are you and Mal doing here?” Ava asked her little brother as she was worried. She hadn’t seen them in almost three years and now here they were just randomly showing up at her dorm. Not only that, but the school year was just about to start in the morning and she couldn’t deal with them in the morning as she had classes. 

Carlos just picked up the toddler as he looked at his big sister after Mal had fallen asleep on him. “Do you have somewhere she can sleep? We can talk after I put her down,” Carlos told Ava who just nodded as she pointed to her bed in which Carlos carefully placed her down as he carefully took off her pacifier from her neck and placed her dragon in her arms. 

Just as Carlos was about to walk away the small toddler woke up as she began to cry for her pacifier. Carlos just sighed as he unhooked the pacifier from the string as that was dangerous and he then handed her the pacifier in which she quickly placed in her mouth and immediately crashed again on the bed. 

Once Carlos was sure Mal was situated he looked at his big sister. “We’re done with Auradon! And I can’t do this anymore Ava I need help! You’re the oldest! Please Ava I’m not ready for this! I love her, but I can’t be her guardian! I’m not even an adult! And I’ve completely messed up everything! I can’t be a dad right now! Ava please I want to be a teenager,” Carlos cried out as he wanted to be a good big brother, but he was just so stressed and he wasn’t ready to raise Mal full time. He wanted to be a normal teen that could hang out with friends whenever he wanted to and go out with girls instead of having to raise his baby sister. 

Ava just pulled Carlos into a hug as she held him while he cried. She honestly didn’t know what to do about this situation and she had no clue what happened in Auradon, but right now she didn’t care. She just wanted her siblings to be okay. “Carlos it’s okay. Just go to sleep okay you look exhausted we can talk about this later,” Ava told her little brother who just nodded as Ava led him to her couch and she placed Mal with him as she didn’t trust her bed right now with how high up it was. 

Once Ava was sure that her siblings were situated she got into her bed to sleep as she had no clue what was going to happen, but she was just too tired at this point to deal with anything. 

Ava was immediately woken up the next morning by the small toddler that had woken up to find her brother missing as Carlos had gone off to explore Beacon Heights as he needed a break from being a parent. He loved his baby sister, but he wasn’t ready to be a dad and now that they were with Ava it was Ava’s job to be the parent. 

Especially since Ava was their legal guardian as she had become their legal guardian before enrolling him in Auradon Prep.

The small toddler was thirsty though and her big brother was gone. She just grabbed her bottle that she still drank from and held it up to Ava after managing to climb up Ava’s bed. 

Ava jumped in surprise when she first saw the toddler as she had forgotten what happened at first, but she quickly remembered that the toddler was her little sister. “Baba!” The toddler cried out as she held her bottle up to her big sister making Ava stare at the bottle in shock as Mal was two yet she apparently still drank from a baby bottle. 

“Mal shouldn’t you be using a sippy cup now and where is Carlos?” Ava asked the small girl as she placed her down from the bed and got up to get ready for the day as it was her first day back to school for the year. The toddler just shook her head no. “No sip cup! Baba! An Cawos go ow. He tow me,” The toddler cried out as she held her bottle up again in which Ava just sighed as she took the bottle. 

“Okay Mal, but let me talk to Carlos first,” Ava told the toddler who just got upset as she began to throw a tantrum. “No! Baba now! Baba now! Baba now! I wan baba now!” The toddler cried out as she began to throw a tantrum. Ava just sighed in frustration as she was too busy to deal with this. And she was worried/mad at her little brother for leaving without telling her. Carlos was still her responsibility as he was still a minor even though he was now a teenager. 

Ava just groaned as she quickly got ready and changed the toddler and then picked her up as she needed to go to class as it was the first day back and Carlos was out, so she couldn’t leave Mal alone. Just as they were leaving Mal began to scream when she realized she didn’t have her pacifier as she took it everywhere with her. It was all she had except for her Dragon.

“Go ba! Paci! I nee paci! Go ba! Go ba! Go ba!” The toddler cried out making Ava sigh in frustration as Mal was definitely a very difficult toddler. Just like how she was a difficult newborn, Ava couldn’t believe she was thinking this, but she preferred the newborn Mal as the newborn had been difficult, but at least she couldn’t talk or walk yet. 

“Mal we’re already almost to the student union and if you want your bottle then we can’t go back. So pick Mal your bottle or your pacifier because class starts soon and I only have time to deal with one of those,” Ava told the toddler making the small girl get more upset as she wanted both. 

“No! Bof! Baba an paci! I wan! I wan! I wan!” The toddler cried out making Ava groan in frustration as she couldn’t deal with this. “Fine you win!” Ava told the toddler as she turned back for her dorm and the small toddler just stopped crying as she clapped her hands excitedly. “Yay! Paci!” The young two year old screamed out. 

When they got to the dorm Ava quickly grabbed the pacifier practically shoving it at her sister as she was so frustrated. “Here Mal happy?” Ava told the small girl sarcastically as she rushed to the student union and filled Mal’s bottle up with milk in which Mal just looked at it in confusion as she only drank strawberry milk. 

“Wa dis?” The toddler practically cried out as she looked at the milk in disgust. Ava just sighed as she looked at Mal. “Mal it’s milk drink it. You said you wanted milk, so drink it,” Ava told the toddler who took one sip and immediately spit it out. 

“NO! Da no miw! Miw ta wike sawbewy! Dis no ta wike sawbewy! Dis no miw!” The two year old cried out making Ava take a deep breath as she was trying so hard not to lose it with her sister. She loved her sister, but she really wished Mal would be an easy toddler that would behave. She knew it wasn’t Mal’s fault as it was just a normal phase, but she just really hated this phase. 

Mal was fighting her on everything and she couldn’t handle it no wonder Carlos had broken down begging her to take care of Mal. “Ugh Mal please I don’t have time for this. Just drink the milk or don’t drink at all. There is no strawberry milk,” Ava told the toddler, but the worker just smiled as she looked at the toddler. 

“Actually we can get her strawberry milk if that’s what she wants,” the worker told Ava immediately causing Mal to nod her head excitedly. “Ya sawbewy miw!” The toddler cried out happily. Ava just sighed in relief as she looked at the worker. “Yes please thank you so much,” Ava told the worker as the worker laughed and filled Mal’s bottle with the strawberry milk and the small girl immediately drank it. 

Ava just sighed in relief as she paid and then walked to her class as Mal was now quietly sucking on her bottle that she was way too old to have, but Ava didn’t care at this point as Mal was finally calm. Ava just sighed as she walked into her class already knowing this was going to be a disaster. 

  
  



	8. Sibling Disagreements

Ava groaned in frustration as she continued to try and get in contact with her little brother. Carlos had just taken off again without telling her and now he wasn’t answering her phone calls. It had been a few days since she had even seen or heard from him and she was extremely worried now.

“Carlos De Vil Jalali! Answer your dang phone right now!” Ava pretty much screamed out through the phone as she was angry and worried. Her brother wasn’t answering her calls and she couldn’t handle it anymore. 

She couldn’t lose another person. She had just lost her boyfriend after someone had killed him and she was so heartbroken and full of grief as she had loved him. Carlos not answering his phone was not helping and neither was Mal’s constant crying. 

She couldn’t believe she was thinking this, but she really wished that Carlos and Mal hadn’t shown up. She was perfectly fine living her life and now here she was a college student trying to raise a super difficult toddler and a rebel teenager that just keeps taking off. On top of the fact that her boyfriend had just died and she was grieving. 

Ava just continued to sob as she continued to down the drinks trying to numb the pain as she couldn’t stop thinking about Nolan as she had loved him and now he was gone. She hadn’t been doing anything, but drink and cry and she would have forgotten Mal was even there if the toddler didn’t keep reminding her with her annoying cries. 

The small toddler that had been trying to keep her distance from Ava just walked over to her when she saw Ava crying. The toddler didn’t understand why Ava was crying, but she didn’t like it even though she still wasn’t that comfortable with her. 

Mal just got up from her “room” which was really just a spot that she had claimed as her safe spot as she still hadn’t completely trusted Ava yet. She just walked over to the sobbing young adult as she didn’t understand why Ava was crying. 

The young toddler just walked over to Ava and wiped her tears away with her tiny fingers like she always did with Carlos whenever he would cry. And Carlos cried a lot while they were in Auradon, but he never told her why, but she didn’t care.

“No cwy!” The toddler told Ava with a cute little smile making Ava just look at the toddler as she grabbed her and just held her close to her as Mal was all she had left at this point and that was the first time Mal had come to her other than to cry for something that she wanted. 

Mal just giggled as she looked at Ava. It was the first time she was really getting any affection from someone other than Carlos and she actually liked it. Mal just snuggled up close to her and decided to test her limits. “I wob you Aba,” the small toddler told her big sister as she snuggled up closer to her and fell asleep on her. 

Ava just let out a small smile as she held her sister. She was finally feeling loved by her sister and for once she wasn’t alone as she had her baby sister. And the small girl was so much work, but at least she knew that Mal loved her now as she had been thinking with the way Mal acted with her that Mal hated her. 

It was the first time in days that Mal had even come out of her little corner in the other room other than to cry for a bottle of milk and some strawberries as Mal only ate strawberries and nothing else and Ava had been too depressed to even care. 

After about an hour of Ava just sitting on the floor holding the sleeping toddler her door opened and Carlos came in with some girl. Carlos just smiled at her as if he hadn’t just been gone for days as he went to the other room with the girl. 

Ava just immediately placed Mal on her bed and created a little barrier with pillows, so she wouldn’t fall off the bed as she quickly got up and went to the other room to lecture her little brother. “Oh hey what’s up Ava,” Carlos told his sister casually as if he hadn’t just taken off for days without even talking to her. 

Ava just looked at her brother in disbelief. “Carlos don’t hey me where were you? And why did you not even answer any of my calls? And who is this? You can’t just bring random girls here,” Ava screamed out as she had been worried sick about her little brother and he just comes back in acting like everything was just normal. 

Carlos just rolls his eyes as he looks at Ava. “Relax Ava I went to Auradon to get the last remaining stuff that I left since we left in a hurry like her carseat and I’m having them bring her crib over too and Dude’s kennel. And this isn’t just some random girl, this is Jane, she's my um friend,” Carlos told his sister as he looked at Jane and blushed making Jane do the same. 

Ava just sighed as she looked at her little brother. “Okay that’s fine, but you should have told me first and you should have answered my calls. You’re still a teenager and I’m still in charge of you. You had me worried sick,” Ava told Carlos who just rolled his eyes again as he had been on his own for two years and didn’t need Ava to treat him like some baby. 

“Yeah, yeah whatever Ava. Anyway I just came here to tell you that Jane is moving in with us. And also I need you to enroll us in school,” Carlos told his big sister making Ava look at him like he was insane. 

“What! Carlos, she is not moving in here! I’m not even supposed to be having you and Mal here, but I talked to them and they have given me an exception since I’m your guardian, but Jane is not moving in here! And I will enroll you in school and only you. Jane’s parents can enroll her themselves if they want to,” Ava told her brother, making Carlos groan as he looked at her. 

“Ugh Ava you are so unfair. Jane wants a fresh start from Auradon, but her mom is the headmistress at Auradon Prep. Please Ava, she's like my only friend and you owe me for doing your job for two years!” Carlos told his big sister, making Ava roll her eyes as she pointed to the toddler cuddling with her baby bottle as she was upset at her brother for trying to act like he was such a better older sibling then she was when it was clear that he didn’t know what he was doing. 

“Oh yeah because you’ve done such a great job with it! She still drinks from a baby bottle and sucks on a pacifier! And you dyed her hair! Plus she only eats strawberries and nothing else! Yeah you’re real sibling of the year,” Ava told her brother sarcastically making Carlos look at her in offence as she had no room to talk. 

“Oh look who's talking! You left us! You left a 12 year old kid to raise a newborn! Yeah I made some mistakes, but I’m a kid! I don’t know what I’m doing, but at least I was trying! I didn’t just dump her on someone else because I wanted to be free! Come on Jane we’re leaving! And I’m taking Mal with me,” Carlos screamed out as he went and picked up the sleeping two year old immediately waking her up and making her cry. 

“Cawos nigh nigh!” The toddler cried out as she was sleeping and he just woke her up. Carlos just sighed as he looked at his baby sister. “Mal we’re leaving,” Carlos told the toddler who just shook her head no. “No Cawos I wike id hewew. I no wanna weabe. Cawos say hewew,” the young girl told her other brother making Carlos groan in frustration as he put the toddler back down on the bed and the small girl cuddled up with her dragon and fell back to sleep while still sucking on her pacifier. 

“Fine Mal you can stay here, but Jane and I are leaving. I’ll still come and see you, but I won’t be living with you anymore,” Carlos told his baby sister as he grabbed Jane’s hand and tried to leave with her, but Ava just pulled him back. “Carlos, you can’t just leave I’m still in charge of you,” Ava practically screamed out as she wasn’t in the mood to be dealing with her rebel brother and she liked it better when he was younger and still did what she said. 

Carlos just released himself from Ava’s grip. “I’m just going out for a walk, so I can clear my head. I’ll be right back “mom” come on Jane,” Carlos told Ava with an attitude as he left with Jane to go clear his head as he wasn’t over what she had done to them. She was supposed to be their older sister and she just threw him and Mal to someone else and completely forgot about them for almost three years. 

He had to stop being a kid, so he could raise his baby sister and keep her safe. He didn’t get to hang out with friends and do after school clubs or sports. He had to hurry back home so he could protect his baby sister from Jay’s cruel girlfriend that found joy in making Mal cry and it took him months to get Mal to even start talking past the normal age that babies start talking as she was afraid of getting an owie as she liked to call it. 

And he remembered exactly what it was like when she said her first word. It had shocked him and it made him cry. 

Flashback

“ _ Come on Mal. You can do it Carlos. Come on Carlos. Say Carlos, Mal,” The almost fourteen year old old told his almost two year old baby sister. He had been trying for months now to get Mal to start talking as he was starting to worry about her development as most babies were already saying a bunch of words by her age and Mal still wasn’t saying anything.  _

_ Jane just smiled as she looked at her friend. “Carlos, maybe that’s just too complicated for her to say. Try something easier,” Jane told her friend with a smile as she loved how caring he was and she loved that he was being such a good big brother and pretty much raising his baby sister on his own.  _

_ Carlos just smiled at his friend that he secretly had a crush on. “Yeah maybe you’re right Jane,” Carlos told his friend, but was interrupted when the small baby looked over at him and smiled while pointing at him.  _

_ “Dada!” The young one year old screamed out while pointing at Carlos and running towards him hugging onto him. Carlos just looked at his sister in shock and then looked over at his friend.  _

_ “Did… Did she just... ? Did she just call me dada,” Carlos asked his friend in shock as tears began to fall down his face as he realized that Mal thought he was her dad and that made him remember his actual dad and how much he actually missed him as Carlos hadn’t been thinking much about his parents, but hearing his baby sister call him dada just reminded him that he was probably never going to see his dad again and Mal was never going to see her actual dad. He had been holding onto the hope that maybe his parents would come back someday, but hearing Mal call him dada just really hit him. His parents were actually gone and his big sister had left them too. He was in charge now and he needed to step up more and become more than just Mal’s big brother as he was all she had left. _

_ Before Carlos could realize what was happening the small one year old was wiping away his tears with her small fingers. “Dada,” the small girl told him with a small smile as she wiped away his tears. Carlos just smiled at his baby sister as he hugged her. “Yeah Mal I’m here. It’s okay,” Carlos told his baby sister as he just held her and she curled up close to him, but before she could fall asleep she looked at Jane and smiled at her as well.  _

_ “Mama!” The small girl screamed out while looking at Jane making Jane freeze as she was way too young for kids, but when she saw the small girl reach for her she just sat down by Carlos and smiled at him and the now sleeping baby. _

_ Carlos just gave his friend a nervous smile while he blushed. “Thanks for helping me and thanks for not running off when she called you mama. I’m sorry she did that,” Carlos told his friend nervously, just making Jane smile as she grabbed his hand.  _

_ “It’s okay Carlos and I know you’re going through a lot right now. She’s sleeping just let it out. I want to help,” Jane told her friend, just making Carlos break down crying as Jane held him as he just completely broke down, telling her about everything he’s been through and how much he wanted his big sister to be there for him and Mal.  _

__

Flashback ends 

Carlos was brought out of his memory by Jane who was looking at him in concern as he had started to cry again without realizing it. “Hey are you okay,” Jane asked her friend as she had seen him crying and she knew that Carlos loved his big sister and hated fighting with her, but he was still not over the fact that she had left him behind. 

Carlos just wiped his tears away as he smiled a bit at Jane. “Yeah I’m fine I just hate that she left us too. And I know she cares about us, but it’s just hard for me to trust her again. I trusted her a few years ago and she just sent us away. I’m just scared that she’s going to throw us out again and I’m going to be on my own with Mal as we don’t even have a home anymore since we can’t go back to Auradon,” Carlos told his friend and Jane just nodded at him sadly as they sat down on a park bench and they just held each other. 

“I know Carlos, but I can tell that she cares about you and Mal. That’s why she yelled at you. She wants to be a better sister, but you have to try too. Now come on let’s go back to your sister’s dorm and then in the morning I will go back to Auradon. I want to stay here with you, but I can’t leave my mom behind and I don’t want you to lose your sisters over me,” Jane told her friend who just nodded his head as he was finally calmed down. 

“Yeah you’re right Jane let’s go back. I need to apologize to my sister and yeah you need to go home. I would love to still see you everyday, but you’re right you need to go home. I’m going to miss you though,” Carlos told his friend who just blushed and nodded her head. “Yeah me too, but we can still keep in contact and I can come visit,” Jane told Carlos as they walked back to the dorm. 

  
  



	9. A Long Night

Once Carlos had just taken off after their fight Ava just sat on her bed and began to sob and down drinks again as she had probably just lost her brother. “Ugh why is life so hard!” Ava practically screamed out as she was angry, grieving, and drunk. She had even forgotten that the toddler was still there as Mal had woken up from the fight and was trying to stay silent, so Ava wouldn’t notice her. 

The small toddler that had been sleeping just quickly got up from the bed as she was scared by Ava’s attitude and her voice. It reminded her of the mean lady as the mean lady always yelled and she had a special drink like Ava was drinking and whenever she had her special drink she became the scariest. 

When Ava saw the toddler trying to get up and away from her she began to get more upset as it seemed Mal was going to leave her too and she was literally going to have no one as her parents left, she had no real friends her friends were fake, she lost her boyfriend, her little brother hated her, and now her baby sister was afraid of her and trying to get away. 

“Ugh what Mal are you just going to leave me too? Go ahead! Just leave like Carlos did because Carlos is right okay! I’m a bad big sister and Carlos is better than I am!” Ava screamed out to the toddler making the toddler just start crying as she tried to quickly get off the bed, but ended up losing her balance almost falling off the bed, but Ava had managed to catch her before she could hit the ground. 

Mal just clung onto Ava as Ava had just saved her from falling, but she was also in complete shock as the mean lady never caught her when she was falling in fact the mean lady would just laugh whenever Mal would fall down. 

“You sab me! You no wa me faw! I wob you Aba!” The toddler told her big sister as she just hugged onto her now feeling safe with Ava as Ava had just proved to her that she could trust her as Ava had helped her instead of just watching. 

Ava didn’t really know how to feel about what just happened. She was happy that her sister still loved her, but why was she so shocked that Ava would catch her and not just let her fall. Ava decided that it was probably just some toddler thing and that it wasn’t anything to worry about. 

“Of course I saved you Mal. You’re my little sister. I’m not going to just let you get hurt,” Ava told the toddler who just smiled as she curled up on Ava again and fell asleep. Ava just sighed as it was late and she was tired.

She just carefully picked up the two year old and was about to take her to her spot on the couch that the small girl had been sleeping on as her crib wasn’t there yet and Ava couldn’t afford a play pen until then, but the small girl just clung onto her as she woke up a bit. 

“Aba pwease no weabe me. I scawew,” the toddler cried out making Ava just sigh as she just made her way to her bed with the toddler not wanting to argue with the small girl as it was late. 

Once she got back to the bed Ava just got on her bed and moved the toddler so that she was safe on the bed as she fell asleep with the toddler next to her. While Ava was sleeping Carlos and Jane came back in and saw that Ava was sleeping and Mal was sleeping right beside her. 

Carlos just quickly decided to just leave Ava note as he wanted to take Jane back to Auradon since he didn’t want her to go back alone and he wanted to talk with Ava, but Ava was sleeping, so he figured it would be best to take Jane back home first. 

Once Carlos finished the note he quietly left the note by Ava’s night stand as he looked at Jane. “Okay come on I left a note. Let’s get you back to Auradon. I can apologize to her when we get back since it’s a long trip to get to Auradon and we need to get back before your mom starts to worry,” Carlos told his friend, making Jane blush as she grabbed his hand and they left to go back to Auradon. 

After Carlos and Jane had left Ava and Mal continued to sleep peacefully until the door was opened again this time it was louder and immediately woke up the toddler making her cry. Ava just immediately jumped up awake as she looked at the crying toddler. 

“Mal what’s wrong,” Ava asked the small girl as she was too distracted by the crying toddler to notice her two “friends” that had broken into her dorm in the middle of the night. The small toddler just pointed to the two other people in the room as she began to keep crying. “Swanwers! An dey wo me up!” The toddler cried out, making Ava look up and notice her two “friends” that had just broken into her room and rudely woken up her baby sister. 

“What the hell! Are you crazy! You can’t just barge into my room in the middle of the night! You just rudely woke up my baby sister! I just got her to sleep!” Ava screamed out to the other two people in her room as she was angry with them for breaking in and scaring her sister and she still didn’t even trust them especially after the whole Nolan incident. 

Caitlin just sighed as she looked at Ava. “Sorry, but look we didn’t kill Nolan we need you to understand that tonight,” Caitlin told the upset girl as she and Dylan needed Ava for their pretend possy as they needed to look like everything was normal to avoid suspicions about Nolan. 

Ava just rolled her eyes as she finally got the toddler to calm down, but not sleep as Mal was refusing to sleep now as she just sat on the bed playing with her dragon and bottle while sucking on her pacifier. Ava just moved her eyes from the toddler to her two fake friends. 

“How did you get in here,” Ava asked the two as she had locked the door before going to sleep. Dylan just sighed as he looked at his “friend” in concern as she looked like a mess. “You haven’t left your room for days. It wasn't hard to convince the RA to let us in,” Dylan told Ava and Caitlin decided to join in trying to help him. 

“Yeah we just said that your friends were concerned about you. Also Ava I don’t think you should be drinking when you're supposed to be watching a toddler,” Caitlin told her “friend” making Ava just roll her eyes and get even more upset. 

“We are not friends! And you two need to mind your own business. I'm an adult and Mal is perfectly fine. Now excuse me,” Ava told the group as she got up from her bed and dumped her solo cup on top of her stack of others that she had on her dresser. 

“Look why don’t we make you some coffee and one of us can take your sister for you tonight. You don’t seem like you’re in the right mindset right now,” Dylan told Ava as he pointed to the toddler that was playing with her bottle and trying to drink from it even though there was no milk in it. 

Ava just rolled her eyes again as she didn’t like the fake concern from her fake friends that didn’t even know anything about her or what she has gone through. “Why don’t you just tell me why you’re here and stop pretending to be worried about me or Mal because we all know why you’re really here,” Ava told the two with an attitude.

Caitlin just sighed as she looked at Ava. “Okay we know how this looks, but we didn’t kill Nolan. We were all together that night and we went back because we heard the sirens. That’s why we went back,” Caitlin told her “friend”, making Dylan join in again hoping to convince Ava to help them. 

“We may not trust each other, but we need each other,” Dylan told Ava as they needed to be Nolan’s “perfect” possy at his funeral and that meant pretending they were all real friends and Caitlin was his grieving girlfriend as Ava had been his secret girlfriend while he pretended to date Caitlin as his mom loved Caitlin, but hated Ava because of her family and her image. 

“Let me guess you want me to hold your hand while you pretend to be his grieving widow. Do you even hear yourself? I loved him! And in case you can’t see I’m trying to take care of a toddler on my own! So just get out of here,” Ava screamed out as she grabbed the baby bottle from the toddler and just quickly filled it with strawberry milk that she had bought and now kept in the dorm in a mini fridge that she got as she didn’t like leaving her dorm and that was the only thing she could get Mal to take down other than strawberries that she also kept in the fridge. She then handed it back to the small girl who just quickly began to drink it. 

“Look we know it’s a lot to ask and we understand that you are trying to look after your sister, but if we don’t go it will look suspicious and until they find out who killed Nolan everyone is a suspect and we can’t afford to have the cops digging around in our business. We need to just lay low and keep playing our roles. Just think about what will happen to your sister if they find something suspicious and you end up in jail even if we didn’t do it,” Dylan told Ava and Ava just sighed as she looked at the two of them. 

“Fine I’ll go, but I’m not doing this for you two I’m doing this for Mal. Now get out! It’s late and now thanks to you two I now have to put a toddler back to bed and she’s more awake now which just makes it harder on me,” Ava screamed out in frustration as she just opened her door and shoved her two fake friends out the door before they could say anything more as she was mad at them for interrupting her sleep and Mal’s sleep just to force her to go to her boyfriend’s funeral and no one could even know that she was his girlfriend before he had died. 

After she got her fake friends out of her dorm she just shut the door as she looked at the night stand seeing the note she just quickly read it and then sighed. Well at least he left a note this time she thought as she placed the note down and looked over at the now hyper toddler that was up and jumping on the bed as she was no longer sleepy. She just sighed knowing this was going to be another challenge that she just wasn’t in the mood for. 

“Alright Mal come on it’s bed time again. It’s late,” Ava told the toddler, causing the small girl to just shake her head no as she continued to jump on the bed. “No! I no sweepy no mow! I wanna pway now!” The toddler screamed out making Ava just groan as she was not in the mood to be dealing with a hyper two year old late at night and she was so mad at her fake friends for doing this to her when she had already had Mal sleeping. 

“Ugh this is going to be a long night and tomorrow is going to be a long day,” Ava groaned out as she looked at the two year old that was still jumping on the bed and now singing in her loud voice as she was now jumping and singing the baby shark song. 

  
  



	10. Memories

“Aba! Aba! Aba!” The small two year old cried out as she tried to climb into Ava’s bed as she had crashed on the floor and Ava had placed her on her couch before getting into her bed to sleep as she was exhausted and dreading the morning as she had the funeral of her secret boyfriend that she had to attend, but Mal had a nightmare and was scared. 

She wanted Ava to comfort her as Carlos usually comforted her when she was scared, but Carlos was still gone and she was really starting to miss him. She wasn’t used to being away from him this long. 

That thought just made her cry more immediately waking Ava up as she looked at the crying toddler. Ava just sighed at first thinking Mal was just crying because she wanted to play again even though it was bedtime, but she quickly realized that Mal was crying for another reason. 

“Mal what’s wrong?” Ava asked the small girl in concern making the toddler reach her arms up in which Ava just quickly picked Mal up. “Aba I ha a scawy dwe aben! An... An... An... I... I... mi Cawos! I wan Cawos ba! I wan Cawos! I nee Cawos! He ma me few bewow!” The small toddler cried out, making Ava just look at her sister as her heart broke just hearing how scared her baby sister was and the fact that her sister wanted Carlos. 

She missed Carlos too and she really wanted him back too, but she would be lying if she said it didn’t sting a bit to know that her sister wanted Carlos over her when she was supposed to be the oldest one. It was supposed to be her job to be the one to comfort Mal and even Carlos. 

Carlos really was right; she had failed at her job and this was just proof. She couldn’t stop thinking about the day when Carlos had been born and she became a big sister. She had made a commitment to herself that day at only six years old. 

Flashback 

_ Six year old Ava was just sitting down with her Uncle Jafar and her little cousin Jay waiting for the news about her new baby sibling. Ava was just so excited to finally meet her new baby sibling. She was about to become a big sister and she was so excited.  _

_ Ava smiled when her daddy came out with a smile on his face as she ran straight over to him and he picked her up. “Daddy!” The young girl screamed out as she was so excited to finally get some information about her new baby sibling.  _

_ “Hey my little dreamer, are you ready to meet your new little brother,” Ava’s dad asked the young six year old, making Ava so excited as she practically jumped up and down for joy after her dad placed her back down.  _

_ “I have a little brother!” The young six year old screamed out happily making her dad laugh. “Yes you do my little dreamer and he is just the cutest little thing ever. Come on I’ll take you to meet him, but you have to be gentle,” Ava’s dad told his daughter, making Ava just smile as she grabbed her daddy’s hand and walked with him into her mommy’s hospital room to meet her new baby brother.  _

_ When she entered the room her mom smiled at her as she held the small newborn in her arms. Ava just couldn’t control her excitement as she went over to her mom and looked at her new baby brother for the first. “Mommy he’s so cute! What’s his name,” the young girl asked her mommy as she kept smiling and not even taking her eyes off of her new baby brother.  _

_ Her mom just laughed as she looked at her. “His name is Carlos De Vil Jalali,” Ava’s mom told the young girl, making Ava smile more.  _

_ “I love it! Can I hold him please mommy,” Ava asked her mom making her mom smile. “Okay, but you have to sit down right here,” Ava’s mom told the small girl, making Ava smile as she did what her mom said and her mom placed her new baby brother in her arms.  _

_ “Aw hi there Carlos. I’m Ava and I’m your new big sister. I promise that I am always going to be there for you and I’m going to protect you because I’m a big sister now and that’s my new job and I’m going to be really good at it since I love you,” the young six year old told her new baby brother as she just held him and smiled at him.  _

__

__ Flashback ends

Ava just began to cry as she realized that she had failed though she had promised that day to always be there for Carlos and she wasn’t. And the same goes for Mal who had fallen asleep just crying on her while calling out for Carlos. 

She couldn’t stop thinking about the day she found out she was going to be a big sister again. She was older at the time as she was almost eighteen when she found out that she was going to be a big sister again, but she was still just as excited as she was back when she was only six.

Flashback

_ Seventeen year old Ava and eleven year old Carlos just sat down on the couch waiting for their parents to tell them what important news they had to tell them as their parents had made them both stop working on homework and come down as they needed to tell them something big.  _

_ “What do you think it is Ava? Do you think we’re moving? I hope not! I have so many friends here,” the young eleven year old rambled out to his big sister as he tried to think of what could be big enough for them to have a whole discussion about it.  _

_ Ava just rolled her eyes at her little brother. “Oh come on Carlos there's no way we're moving now. I mean I’m about to start my last year of high school. There is no way we would move now,” Ava told her little brother making him nod in understanding.  _

_ “Yeah you’re right! Then what could it be if it’s not about moving,” the young boy asked his sister, but before Ava could give her input their parents came out holding something behind their backs.  _

_ “Are you two ready to find out what big news your mom and I have,” their dad asked them, making them both nod. Their parents just laughed as they pulled out a sonogram in which Ava immediately knew what it was while Carlos had no clue.  _

_ “Oh my gosh no way! Are you serious! Is this real! Please tell me it’s real! I’m going to be really upset if this is a prank!” The seventeen year old told her parents in shock and excitement while her little brother just looked at her in confusion. “What I don’t get it. What is this,” Carlos asked his big sister making Ava laugh as she looked at her clueless little brother.  _

_ Their parents laughed as well as they looked at their kids. “It’s true Ava it’s not a prank! We would never do that to you two. And Carlos bud, that's a sonogram from mom. You’re going to be a big brother,” the father told his two kids immediately, making Ava just immediately run and hug him while Carlos jumped up and down excitedly.  _

_ “Oh my gosh! This is the best news ever! I’m going to be a big brother! Ava guess what I’m going to be an older brother! We’re both big siblings now! I can’t believe I’m going to be a big brother! I’m so excited!” The young eleven year old screamed out excitedly making Ava and their parents laugh.  _

_ Ava was really excited as well as she just hugged her dad in excitement. “I can’t believe this is real! I’m going to be a big sister again after eleven years! I’m so excited! There’s going to be another little baby to protect and love,” Ava practically screamed out as she was excited.  _

_ Carlos just laughed as he looked at his parents. “Is it a girl or boy! I hope it’s a girl,” the young eleven year old told his parents, making Ava laugh as she looked at her little brother in confusion. “Really? I would have thought you would want a little brother,” Ava told the boy while ruffling his hair making him laugh again _

_ “I want a little brother, but I also really want a little sister because I want to be a good big brother and protect my little sister,” the young boy told his older sister, making Ava laugh again. “Okay and you can’t do that with a little brother? I mean I’ve been doing that for eleven years now which is why I really want a baby sister because I already have a little brother, but I don’t care either way,” Ava told her little brother, making him nod in agreement.  _

_ “Yeah I agree with you Ava. I don’t really care what it is,” Carlos told his sister. Their parents just laughed again as they looked at their two kids. “Oh then I guess you don’t want to know yet,” their dad told them, making them both start freaking out.  _

_ “No we want to know! Tell us dad please tell us!” Carlos begged out to his parents making them laugh. “Okay fine congratulations you two are now the older siblings to a new baby sister,” the father told his two kids immediately making Ava and Carlos start jumping for joy even though Ava was almost an adult she didn’t care she was excited.  _

_ “Oh my gosh we’re having a baby sister Carlos! I can’t wait to protect her and love her and always be there for her. I’m going to be the best older sibling to her! And I’m going to teach her so much!” Ava screamed out making Carlos laugh. “Yes! We’re having a baby sister! I’m so happy and no way Ava I’m going to be the better older sibling!” The young boy told his sister, making her laugh.  _

_ “You wish little bro, but I’m already the big sister, so it’s kind of my job and you’re not stealing it, but you can help me,” Ava told her little brother as she ruffled his hair again, making him and their parents just laugh as they were all just enjoying their happy family moment.  _

Flashback ends 

She was brought out of her flashback by her little sister who had woken up as it was now morning. Ava just looked at the time in shock as she had ended up staying up all night from her flashbacks. She couldn’t believe that she had done that, and most importantly her little brother had been right three years ago, but she was determined to change that.

Ava just sighed as she picked up the toddler as Carlos wasn’t back yet and she had to attend her secret boyfriend’s funeral even though she didn’t want to as she needed to keep up her role in order to be a good big sister and protect her siblings. “Alright Mal come on let’s get ready. We have somewhere we have to go today and I need you to please not be difficult with me,” Ava told the toddler who just shook her head. 

“No! I wan Cawos!” The small girl cried out making Ava sigh again as she looked at her baby sister. “Mal, Carlos is busy right now. And besides Carlos isn’t in charge anymore. I am because I’m older than he is and I’m legally in charge of you and Carlos, so things are going to be changing Mal. Now I’m in charge now and I say we need to get ready, so we need to get ready,” Ava told the toddler who just looked at Ava and shook her head no. 

“No!” The small girl screamed out as she ran and hid. Ava just sighed in frustration as she didn’t understand why Mal couldn’t just listen to her. She was trying to be a better big sister, but she just kept making things worse with both Carlos and Mal and she just really wasn’t in the mood to deal with a difficult toddler especially today as today was already a really hard day for her. 

  
  



	11. Enter Dana Booker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you guys thought. And I hope you guys will enjoy my next chapter as well as my next chapter will have a lot of sibling bonding between Mal, Ava, and Carlos since I haven't focused too much on that and I'm excited to get into it more. And thank you to everyone that reads this story and adds kudos. I really appreciate it and I hope you continue to enjoy this story as I'm only just starting and I have a whole lot planned for this story that I'm excited to write.

Ava just sighed as she finally managed to find Mal who was hiding. She just picked her up and looked at her. "Okay so this is what is going to happen next. I am already ready since I got ready while you were hiding. Now I am going to get you ready and you are coming with me to the funeral," Ava told the toddler who tried to get away again.

"No! No! No! No wanna!" The small girl cried out, making Ava just sigh as she carried Mal to the room anyway and began to search through Mal's clothes in search of something black, but pretty much all she was finding was purple.

Ava just sighed in frustration as she looked at Mal. "Mal do you only wear purple," Ava asked the girl, making her smile and nod. "Yeah! I wob pupwl!" The small two year old cried out excitedly making Ava just sigh as she found an outfit that was darker purple and kind of looked black that she could put Mal in.

Ava then took Mal and changed her into the outfit in which Mal tried to complain claiming it wasn't purple, but Ava managed to prove it was calming the toddler and allowing her to finish changing her.

When she finally finished changing her Ava just grabbed Mal's dragon and her bottle as she filled the bottle up and then handed it to Mal, but not before grabbing Mal's pacifier and putting it around the girls neck as she needed Mal to behave and Mal was always behaved when she had those three things.

She then carried Mal out the door and met up with her "posse" who just looked at her like she was insane when they saw Ava had the now sleeping toddler with her. "Um Ava why would you bring a toddler to a funeral? Especially to the funeral of someone she didn't even know," Caitlin asked her "friend" making Ava roll her eyes as she looked at her.

"Well not everyone has a perfect family that they can rely on for help! I don't have any other family members except for my little brother who is off in Auradon again doing god knows what! And it's not like I can leave a two year old home alone! You two made me come to this when I told you I was busy! Besides my business is my business not yours!" Ava screamed out to the two making them just nod as they knew Ava was right and they didn't want to start a whole fight right before making a public appearance at Nolan's funeral as his supposed tight posse.

Dylan just sighed as he looked at Ava. "Okay Ava we're sorry we asked. You're right it's your business. We were just a bit concerned to see that you would bring someone who is basically a baby to such a dark thing like a funeral," Dylan told Ava, making her just roll her eyes again.

"Whatever let's just get this over with, so I can get back to my dorm and my sister can continue to pretend that I don't even exist while she just cries out for our brother who is apparently the best person in the world in her mind and I don't mean anything at all to her," Ava screamed out in frustration as she couldn't help herself. She hated this and she hated how her "friends" tried to act like they cared when they didn't. No one cared about her, not even her sister or brother.

Carlos made it very clear that he hates her and Mal made it very clear that she prefers Carlos and would rather not even be near her. Caitlin and Dylan both just gave Ava a sad look as they wanted to comment on what she said, but decided against it as they just locked arms and headed towards the funeral.

When they were walking to the funeral for the service everyone was just staring at them as they were Nolan's "perfect" posse, but not only were they staring at all of them, but a lot of people were pointing to the toddler that was in Ava's arms and whispering making Ava even more frustrated as she just looked at the people.

"Yes I'm holding a toddler, so stop whispering about it!" Ava screamed out to the people as she was frustrated making them all immediately start whispering again about her this time. Caitlin just looked at Ava.

"Really Ava was that necessary?" Caitlin whispered to Ava, making her roll her eyes again as she didn't care. "I don't care. Those people deserved that. They were acting as if they had never seen a toddler before," Ava told Caitlin in annoyance as they entered into the church for the service.

When they entered the church Caitlin immediately put on her best grieving look as she walked past Nolan's mom as she greeted her and told her to sit at the front and Dylan followed her while Ava just walked past as well a little bit after them.

When Ava walked past Nolan's mom she just looked at the sleeping toddler and then Ava sternly as if trying to determine if Mal was Ava's as she didn't like Ava and her family and wouldn't be surprised if Ava had gotten herself knocked up a few years back.

However she was now worried that if that toddler was actually Ava's that Nolan could possibly be the father as she was very suspicious of his "friendship" with the criminal's daughter after finding out that Ava had been at her house with Nolan a few days prior to his death.

Ava just looked at Nolan's mom not really understanding what she was doing as the lady just kept staring at her sister making her feel uncomfortable as she just quickly walked past the grieving mother and held back her tears as she found her seat next to her "friends."

As soon as she sat down right before the service started Mal chose that as the perfect time to wake up from her nap making Ava groan as she just knew it was going to be a complete disaster now as Mal was now up and alert.

As if reading her mind the small toddler decided to do just that as she began to squirm around and complain loudly making everyone just stare at them in disapproval as Mal was being very disrespectful.

"Ava calm her down. You are making us all look bad right now," Caitlin told her "friend" and Dylan decided to join in. "Caitlin's right Ava. She's making us look disrespectful. This is why you really shouldn't bring a toddler to a funeral," Dylan told Ava, making her sigh in frustration.

"I am trying to calm her, but she doesn't listen to me. And I already told you I had no choice. I had to bring her," Ava whispered back to her friends in frustration as she had already explained to them why she had to bring her sister.

"Mal come on please behave. I'll get you anything you want if you please please please stay silent until this funeral is over," Ava practically begged the toddler, making her smile and stop squirming.

"Yay. I behab now," The small girl told Ava who just nodded as she grabbed Mal's stuff. "Okay good Mal," Ava told the toddler as she handed her the bottle and toy and Mal immediately smiled as she began to just sip on the bottle quietly making Ava, Dylan, and Caitlin all sigh in relief as the toddler was finally being calm and behaved. Just at the right time too since as soon as the toddler calmed the funeral service started.

Ava smiled in relief when the funeral ended as the small toddler had actually managed to stay well behaved during the funeral, but as soon as she stood up to leave the small girl began to squirm again making Ava just sigh as she gave in placing the toddler down and before she could even stop her the small girl went running as fast as she could running into a woman that was standing near the exit.

Ava ran over to apologize to the lady for her sister running into her, but as soon as she saw who the lady was she began to fill with anger. As she realized the woman that was now holding her sister was none other than the FBI agent that was on her dad's case Dana Booker, only the worst person she had ever met as the agent was literally obsessed with trying to take down her family.

She couldn't believe that horrible woman had found her in Beacon Heights and not just that, but this same horrible woman was holding her sister who was crying and reaching for her. Ava just quickly stormed over to the woman as she quickly grabbed Mal from the woman making the toddler just cling to her as she didn't like being held by a strange woman and was glad her big sister was holding her again. "Aba," the small toddler told her sister as she just clung to her protectively.

Ava just gave her sister a small smile before looking over at Dana Booker with a look of anger and hatred. "Dana Booker don't you ever touch my sister again! You are even more of a low life than I thought! I can't believe that you are back here right now to mess with me and my family again especially while I am grieving!" Ava screamed out to the former FBI agent who just gave Ava a small sad smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't even realize that was your sister. She is so big now. I believe that last time I saw her she wasn't even a month old yet. And I am very sorry for your loss, but I want you to know that I am no longer with the FBI," Dana Booker told Ava, making Ava look at her in shock and confusion.

"What?" Ava asked in confusion as she didn't understand what Dana was doing if she wasn't FBI anymore. Dana just gave her a serious look as Caitlin and Dylan had decided to come over as well as they wanted to know what was happening.

"Is everything okay," Caitlin asked the former officer who just looked at them all with a serious look. "No everything is not okay. A student has been murdered and as BHU's new head of security I will find out who killed Nolan Hotchkiss and they will be getting what they deserve," Dana told the three in a serious tone as they were her three main suspects and she wanted them to understand that she was onto them.

Once Dana Ava, Caitlin, and Dylan left the church and sat down at a table in the student union while they were discussing what Dana Booker was talking about while drinking coffee. Ava just groaned in frustration as she couldn't believe that Dana was back in her life again after she had thought she had finally escaped from her.

And she just knew that they were all screwed now with Dana Booker now in charge of Nolan's case. She didn't want her "friends" to know that she was scared and as freaked out as them as she tried to remain emotionless around them while they were discussing Dana and Caitlin and Dylan were completely panicking as they worried about their secrets that Nolan had been blackmailing them with getting out and making them look bad.

Ava was trying to act like she didn't care, but she was freaking out as well. If Dana found anything on her and she got in trouble she could get Mal and even Carlos taken from her for good and she couldn't let that happen. She didn't want her fake friends to know that she was feeling that way as they weren't even real friends and she just didn't trust them.

Ava just finished explaining where Caitlin and Dylan could look to find Nolan's hiding spot as they were hoping to find their secrets before Dana could get them and then she stood up as she was finished trying to entertain her fake friends.

Dylan and Caitlin just looked at Ava when they noticed her about to leave. "Ava are you not coming with us," Caitlin asked Ava who just rolled her eyes as they clearly couldn't get it through their heads that she was busy now.

"They're your secrets not mine and I'm busy. I have to go to the store and get my sister some stuff that she needs especially since I need to start acting more like a parent as Mal is now under my care. Plus I still need to call my brother and discuss what we're going to do about him," Ava told the two as she walked away from them and quickly picked up her sister who she had let just run around wild in the student union as she didn't care enough to keep the toddler still anymore.

"Aba I wan oys an anwy! You promise! I behab!" The small toddler cried out as Ava had promised her she could get what she wanted if she behaved and she had. Ava just sighed as she had forgotten that. "Okay Mal I will get you some toys and one piece of candy. Now come on let's go we need to go to the store and I'm going to call our brother in the car, so we can talk to him," Ava told the toddler who just smiled and clapped her hands at the mention of talking to Carlos again.

"Yay! We go! We go! We go!" The small girl told Ava excitedly, making her laugh as her earlier frustrations and worries began to vanish just watching her sister happy. She then walked to her dorm and smiled in relief when she saw that there were boxes by her dorm from Auradon as Carlos had some of their bigger stuff shipped over and she found Mal's car seat.

She just picked it up as she carried it to her car and strapped it in. She then placed her small sister into the seat and buckled her up. "Okay Mal now I'm going to call Carlos now," Ava told the toddler as she clicked on his name and to her relief he answered right away making the toddler giggle happily at hearing her big brother's voice on the phone.

"Cawos! Cawos! Cawos! Yay Cawos!" The small girl screamed out making both Ava and Carlos through the fun laugh at how adorable and excited their baby sister was. "Hey there Mal. I miss you my little pup. I'm gonna be home soon okay. I love you my cute little puppy," Carlos told his baby sister as he really did miss her.

The small two year old just giggled back. "Mi you too! Bi dowy! An I wob you too! I go now! Me an Aba go sow now! Bye Bye!" The small toddler told her big brother making Carlos laugh again. "Okay my little puppy have fun at the store with Ava bye puppy I'll see you soon," Carlos told his baby sister as he hung up the phone not wanting to talk to his big sister until they were actually in person.

Ava just sighed as Mal handed her back her phone and she placed it down as she parked into the store parking lot. She thought it was absolutely adorable to hear how excited Mal and Carlos were to talk to each other, but she wanted that relationship with them too. She wanted to be that close with them that they were excited to be with her and she wanted to have cute nicknames with them like they had.

Ava just sighed as she pushed those thoughts away and quickly unbuckled the happy toddler. "Okay Mal come on let's go shopping," Ava told the toddler who just smiled as she reached up for Ava. "Yay! I ge a go sopin!" The small girl told her sister who just smiled as she picked up the toddler and grabbed a cart placing Mal into the car seat attached and Mal just smiled happily as she loved getting to go out and see things.

It was fun and she loved seeing all the cool stuff. She was excited to shop especially since the young girl didn't get to go out much as the mean lady wouldn't let her, but now Ava was willingly taking her out to the store and she was just so excited. 


	12. Shopping Adventure

  
  


When they got into the store Mal just looked around in complete awe making Ava laugh a bit as she watched her sister. It was the first time she was actually spending one on one time with the toddler as Mal normally hid away from her. 

She was finding that Mal was a very curious little toddler who absolutely loved exploring and asking questions. She was also starting to learn more about Mal’s personality. Mal was a bit shy, but she was also such an explorer and she was full of so much happiness and creativity. 

She was also learning about Mal’s interests such as the fact that Mal loved dragons, purple, drawing, and strawberries. When they reached the baby and toddler aisle Ava immediately went to the sippy cups as she was sick of the bottle. She just picked up Mal as she pointed to the cups. 

“Okay Mal now I want you to pick out a sippy cup,” Ava told the toddler who just shook her head no as she pointed to the bottles. “No wan sip cup! I wan baba!” The small toddler told Ava who just sighed. She knew Mal was too old for the bottle and Mal needed to transition into sippy cups. 

Ava just picked up a sippy cup with a dragon on it that was also purple and had a silicone spout as she showed it to Mal. “Mal what about this one? It’s purple, it has a dragon, and look Mal. It still has the same feel as your bottle, but at least now you will look like a big girl,” Ava told the toddler who just stared at the sippy cup as she began to examine whether she trusted it or not. 

Finally after a few minutes of the two year old examining the sippy cup she smiled as she nodded. “Otay I wan!” The small girl told Ava, making Ava sigh in relief as she grabbed more sippy cups like that along with a few with the hard spout and a few with just a straw. She also picked out just a few kiddy regular cups as she knew that it would be a transition, but she would need to transition from one to the other if she was ever going to get Mal to drink regular cups. 

She would start out with the silicone sippy cups and slowly transition into the hard tips and eventually make her way into regular cups, but she knew it would be a process and the first step would be to throw out the bottle. If she could get Mal off the bottle that would be a win. 

She then grabbed some other toddler stuff that she would need, but when Mal saw the pacifiers she began to grab them and place them in the cart making Ava sighed as she had to keep putting them back every time as she would not let Mal keep the binky and she was already planning on getting rid of Mal’s binky. 

Carlos had been a good big brother in raising their sister, but he had also messed up with some stuff and Ava was determined to fix it. Mal got upset when Ava placed the pacifiers back as she wanted them. “Pacie!” Mal told Ava as she grabbed a pack and placed it in the cart again. Ava just sighed in frustration as she picked up the pack and placed it back where it goes. “Mal please stop this. You are too old for the pacifier. I’m not buying you another one,” Ava told the toddler who just nodded as she waited for Ava to focus on something else and when she did Mal quickly grabbed the pacifiers as she sneakily placed them into the cart hiding them. 

The small toddler then put on an innocent smile as she looked at Ava who didn’t notice what the toddler had done. Mal then pointed to the toys as she looked at Ava. “Aba oys!” The small girl told her sister who nodded as she picked out some toys that she thought would benefit the toddler and then she allowed Mal to pick out a few toys on her own as Ava knew that Mal had no toys except for her dragon and she knew how important toys were for young kids especially the educational ones. 

When Mal finished picking out the toys Ava picked Mal back up as she needed to go and get stuff from a different aisle as she needed to get stuff to toddler proof her dorm if Mal was going to be staying there now.

Once they reached the aisle for baby and toddler proofing Mal just looked around in confusion and curiosity as she looked at Ava. “Aba wa da,” the young two year old asked her sister as she pointed to the stuff that Ava had grabbed to toddler proof her dorm. “This is what I am going to use to toddler proof our dorm,” Ava told the toddler with a smile, making Mal more confused. 

“Why?” The young girl asked Ava making Ava laugh a bit. “Because I want to keep you safe,” Ava told the toddler who just nodded. “Why?” The two year old asked again making Ava sigh as she looked at her sister. “Because I love you and I want to keep you safe,” Ava told the toddler who just giggled. 

“Why?” Mal asked again, making Ava sigh again as she looked at Mal. “Is that the only word you can say?” Ava playfully asked the toddler as she tickled her, making her giggle. “Hehe Aba I sa mow suff.” The toddler told her sister who laughed again. 

“I know Mal, but you just kept saying that word over and over again. I forgot for a second that you say more words,” Ava playfully told the toddler as she was really enjoying this. She was actually getting to bond with her sister and it was the first time since Nolan passed away that she was feeling genuinely happy and enjoying herself. 

Mal just giggled again. “Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?” The small girl playfully told her sister, making Ava laugh again. “Okay Mal no more okay come on let’s go pay and then we can leave,” Ava told the toddler who smiled and nodded. 

“Otay Aba I hunwy,” the young girl told her big sister who just nodded. “Okay Mal after we finish paying I will take you to get some food, but we are doing this differently. I will take you somewhere where you can play around, but if I take you to this place for lunch then you need to promise me that you will actually eat the food. And no Mal you can’t just eat strawberries or we won’t go,” Ava told the toddler hoping to convince Mal to eat real food as she had been slacking off, but now she was determined to start focusing again and fixing things. 

Mal just looked at Ava trying to decide if she should take the deal. Ava noticed Mal’s conflicted look as she decided to try it anyway as Mal needed to eat real food. “Okay Mal here's what we will do. We are going to try the food and if you don’t like it then I will get you strawberries okay, but you have to try it,” Ava told the toddler who just nodded. 

Mal wasn’t paying attention much to what her sister was saying as she was focused on the person scanning the items as she was mesmerized by the motion. Ava just laughed when she noticed that Mal was just watching the cashier scan the items. “You think that’s cool don’t you Mal,” Ava told the toddler who just nodded her head as she continued to watch. 

When the cashier finished scanning the items Ava looked at the price in shock as she was not expecting it to be that expensive. She just carefully handed the cashier her credit card knowing that she was going to be in so much debt, but Mal really needed this stuff.

When she finished paying Ava placed the bags in the car and then buckled up Mal in her seat. “Okay Mal you did such a good job in the store. I’m impressed, but um Mal what is this,” Ava asked the toddler as she picked up the pack of pacifiers that Mal had managed to get away with sneaking. 

The young two year old looked at the pacifiers in shock. “Uh oh,” the small girl whispered as she then just put on an innocent smile and looked at her big sister. “Aba wew da pacies come fwom?” The small girl innocently asked Ava who just roll her eyes playfully as she knew Mal knew that she had done it. 

“I don’t know Mal? Can you tell me where the pacifiers came from?” Ava asked her sister who just pretended to look confused. “I no no wew pacies come fwom?” The small girl told Ava innocently, making Ava just sigh as she placed the pacifiers back into the bag. 

“Mal I will give you this win for now, but we are going to talk more about this when we get back from lunch,” Ava told the toddler as she was hungry and she knew that it would be easier to lecture the toddler in her own dorm. Plus she needed to tackle one problem at a time and right now the eating thing needed to come first as it was extremely unhealthy.

Mal just smiled as Ava placed the pacifiers back into the bag and got into the driver’s seat as Mal knew she won. Ava then drove to a fast food restaurant that she knew had a playground for young toddlers as she quickly parked the car and then looked at Mal. 

“Okay Mal here we are. Come on let’s go inside oh and Mal there's a surprise inside too,” Ava told the toddler who clapped her hands excitedly as Ava unbuckled her and then placed her down. 

When they got into the fast food restaurant Ava led Mal to the playground seating and as soon as Mal saw who was sitting at one of the booths she got so excited as she ran straight over to the booth in happiness and excitement. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you guys thought. And let me know who you think the person is that made Mal so excited.


	13. Deja Vu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you guys thought. And I hope you guys are excited for the next chapter as I will be getting more into the drama that comes with Perfectionists as I wanted to do a few sibling bonding chapters in between all the drama, but I promise the next chapter will be getting back into the drama. 

“Cawos! You ba!” The small toddler screamed out excitedly as she went running to the booth that her big brother was sitting at. Carlos just laughed as he picked up his happy baby sister. “Yeah I am back!” Carlos told the toddler who just giggled and hugged him tightly. 

Ava just sighed when she realized that Mal hadn’t even acknowledged her again and Carlos was barely even looking at her. She thought she had made progress, but it seems like all of that went away the second Mal saw Carlos again. 

Just as Ava was just going to leave as Carlos clearly had Mal situated Mal reached out and pulled her back. “Aba no weabe! Sa!” The small girl told her big sister as she didn’t want Ava to leave. 

Ava just smiled as she realized that Mal hadn’t forgotten her, making her feel happy as she just sat down at the booth with Carlos and Mal. “Okay Mal I’m staying, but I have to get us lunch, so I’ll be right back,” Ava told the toddler who just smiled and nodded. 

“Otay Aba!” The small girl told her sister and Ava smiled as she got up to go order food. Once Ava left Carlos looked at Mal as he noticed she had a sippy cup with her and he didn’t see Mal’s bottle. “Mal what’s that,” Carlos asked his sister as it looked too good to be true. 

He had been trying for at least a year to get Mal off of the bottle and Ava could do it in a few weeks. Mal just smiled as she looked at her big brother. “Id sip cup! Wook id pupwl an id hab dwagins on id! Wook!” The young two year old told her brother as she held up her new sippy cup that she had now fallen in love with. 

Carlos just smiled as he watched his sister drink from the sippy cup, but his happiness soon turned into sadness as he realized the real reason he had been hesitant to get rid of Mal’s bottle and even the binky. Getting rid of those things would mean his baby sister wasn’t a baby anymore and he didn’t like that thought. 

He had been basically raising her since she was a newborn and he knows that Mal is still just a toddler and still really young, but she wasn’t a baby anymore. She was growing up and that made him sad. He never understood why people would always get sad over stuff like that until he basically became a dad. 

Mal was also now running around in the play area while he was just sitting in the booth trying not to cry and he knew it was ridiculous, but he couldn’t help himself. When Ava came back she noticed Carlos and immediately placed the food down as she looked at her little brother. 

“Hey Carlos what’s wrong? You look like you’re about to cry? Is everything okay,” Ava asked her little brother in concern. Carlos just nodded as he looked at Mal’s sippy cup that she left on the table when she ran off to go play. “Yeah it’s just that um you got rid of her bottle,” Carlos told Ava while trying to hold back his sadness. 

He knew Mal needed to stop using the bottle, but it still didn’t make the feeling of sadness go away. Ava just smiled as she looked at Carlos. “Sort of it’s a process. I got her to want a sippy cup, but I haven’t gotten rid of the bottle completely yet, but I’m about to,” Ava told her brother and before Carlos knew it he was crying. 

Ava had no clue what was happening, but she just held him and let him cry on her. Finally after a few more minutes of Carlos crying he calmed down and Ava just gave him a concerned look as Carlos didn’t cry very often at least he didn’t use to. 

“Hey it’s okay. Do you want to tell me what happened?” Ava asked her little brother who just wiped away his remaining tears. “I can't, it's embarrassing,” Carlos told Ava who just sighed as she looked at Carlos. “Hey come on I’m your big sister you can trust me. Remember when we were younger. We were inseparable,” Ava told her brother who just smiled a bit as he remembered those days to when they were younger and he had practically worshipped his sister. They were a team even though Ava was six years older than him. 

He trusted her with everything and she had trusted him with everything too. They were the Jalali siblings and they really were an inseparable team. He just sighed as he wiped away more tears realizing that his reminiscing was making him cry again.

“It’s just that um Ava everythings changing. I mean we barely even talk anymore. We don’t even have parents. I’m a teenager now and Mal she’s not a baby anymore. She’s growing up and I don’t like it. I know it’s so stupid to be crying over this kinda stuff especially since she’s only two and still really young, but I just can’t help it,” Carlos told his big sister and before he knew it Ava was crying too as his words hit deep. Carlos was right about all of it. 

Mal finished playing in the playground and came over to find both Ava and Carlos holding each other and crying. The small toddler just looked at them in confusion, but turned her focus away as she just looked at the food as she was hungry. 

She just picked up a nugget and bit into it. Mal smiled when she liked the taste as she began to keep eating it. “Dis gow!” The small girl screamed out immediately making Carlos and Ava stop crying as they looked over to see the toddler eating real food. 

“Oh my gosh! She’s eating! She’s eating real food!” Carlos screamed out immediately making Mal put the food down as she looked at her big brother. “No yell!” The small toddler told her big brother and Ava just laughed as she looked at Mal who was actually eating real food. 

“Okay I’m getting a sense of deja vu,” Ava told her brother, making him laugh as he remembered what Ava was referring to. Mal just looked at her sister in confusion of the word. “Wa da?” The small girl asked her sister who just smiled. “Mal Deja vu is when something feels like it’s happened before,” Ava told the toddler who just nodded. 

“Mal we are feeling it now because two years ago when you were a baby we went to a restaurant like this and we couldn’t get you to drink your formula, but then you finally did and we celebrated and it’s just like this,” Carlos told his baby sister as he was enjoying the feeling of being a family again with his sisters. It was a nice feeling to just be the brother again. 

After another hour of them eating and Mal playing in the play area again while Ava and Carlos caught up with each other they decided to go back to Ava’s dorm. When they got back Carlos smiled when he saw the boxes outside the door. 

“Oh awesome our stuff arrived! Yes the playpen is here too!” Carlos screamed out excitedly as he got the playpen out and set it up in Mal’s “room” as he picked her up from Ava as Mal had fallen asleep in the car as it was her nap time. 

He then placed Mal into the playpen as he carefully moved away from the “room” careful not to wake up Mal. Once he was sure that they were safe Carlos just flopped down on Ava’s bed. “Man it feels so good to have her in a playpen. I feel so much better now,” Carlos told Ava, making her laugh a bit as she had to agree. 

“Yeah well this dorm still isn’t safe though. Come on I need your help, so we can toddler proof this place if Mal is going to be living here. We gotta protect our baby sister! And once we're done we can discuss what to do about your schooling since we have to get you into a school,” Ava told her brother who just laughed and rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on we can talk about that boring stuff later! Now let’s protect our baby sister!” Carlos told his big sister as he was so happy. He was finally getting to be a carefree teenager and he loved the feeling, so much. 

Ava just laughed a little as she looked at her brother. She had really missed him and she was so happy that he was back. She began to get upset though when she realized that she had another memorial for Nolan she would have to go to later at night. She really didn’t want to go, but she had to keep up their stupid “perfect posse” and now more than ever as Dana was back. 

Carlos noticed that his big sister was no longer smiling and she looked really sad. “Hey Ava what’s wrong?” Carlos asked his big sister in concern Ava just immediately put on a fake smile as she didn’t want Carlos to worry. 

“Nothing I was just remembering that school starts again tomorrow and I don’t know what to do about Mal,” Ava half lied to her brother as she actually was worried about that as Carlos would be in school since she was planning on signing him up in the morning for whichever school he decided on, but Mal was too young for school. However that was not her main concern as her main concern was the fact that she could possibly go to jail and lose her siblings all because Dana was back and clearly after her again.

Carlos just nodded as he looked at Ava and Ava sighed a bit in relief as he had bought it. “Yeah I get that. I think there is a daycare that you can take her to. I’ve been doing research and according to the internet there is this really great daycare really close to here and it’s not that expensive,” Carlos told Ava and she smiled at the information as it actually was helpful. 

“Okay great! Well that’s all settled! Now let’s toddler proof the dorm,” Ava told her brother trying to distract him from the real issue. She would just wait for Carlos to fall asleep, down some drinks, and then she would go to the memorial for her secret boyfriend. He didn’t even have to know it was happening.

Carlos just laughed. “Yeah! This is going to be fun! I love toddler proofing. I know it’s weird, but I really loved doing it back in Auradon,” Carlos told his sister who just smiled as she looked at her brother and handed him a bag. 

“Okay good because this is going to take a while, so I’m glad you’re excited,” Ava told Carlos who just laughed as he grabbed the items as he began to open them up, so they could toddler proof the dorm and make the dorm feel more like home for Carlos and Mal. 

  
  



	14. Night Time Talk

Ava sighed as she watched Carlos sleep on the couch in the same “room” next to Mal’s crib that she was now using as they had set it up while toddler proofing the dorm. She was just sitting on her bed and downing drinks hoping to numb herself, so that when she went to Nolan’s memorial she wouldn’t feel anything. 

She really didn’t want to go, but she had her little sister and now her little brother too that were counting on her now. She couldn’t mess that up. Ava just sighed as she realized that she needed to leave. Ava just carefully got up not wanting to wake up her sleeping siblings as she quietly opened her door and left. 

Ava became annoyed and frustrated when she found her fake friends that didn’t even care about Nolan pretending to be extremely sad and grieving. She just rolled her eyes as she looked at them. “Well I see you guys are going all out with this grief show. You clearly didn’t find Nolan’s stash of secrets,” Ava told the two with no emotions and they just looked at her in shock as they hadn’t seen Ava since she left and right now it was obvious that Ava was drunk again. 

“Ava where is your sister at? Did you leave her home alone in the middle of the night,” Dylan asked Ava in concern when he realized that Ava was by herself. Ava just rolled her eyes as her “friends” clearly thought, so little of her. 

“What kind of irresponsible person do you think I am? Do you really think I’m that much of a horrible sister that I would leave my two year old sister by herself in the middle of the night! Get real Dylan! She’s with my teenage brother back at our dorm! And by the way you two got mad at me for bringing her to the funeral and I decided to leave her home for the memorial and you get mad at me! So make up your mind! Ava practically screamed out as she was so annoyed and sick of her fake friends. 

They try to act like they care, but they don’t and Dylan just accused her of leaving a two year old by herself basically saying that he thinks she is irresponsible enough to do something dangerous like that. 

Dylan just sighed as he hadn’t meant to make Ava offended. He was just confused and a bit worried when he didn’t see the toddler with Ava. “Ava calm down alright. I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just worried when I saw that your sister wasn’t with you and I mean you’re clearly not in the right mindset again,” Dylan told Ava, making her even more annoyed with her fake friends. 

““Whatever. Stop pretending to be concerned over my sister and just answer my question from earlier,” Ava told the two who just sighed as they knew Ava wasn’t going to listen to anything they said. 

“Okay fine. Someone beat us to it and they knew we were coming,” Dylan told Ava who just rolled her eyes again. “Yeah well now you have no more secrets. No shoes, no shirt, no service,” Ava told the two, making Caitlin start to get really annoyed as Ava was acting like they were the only ones with something to lose. 

“Ava are you drunk again?” Caitlin asked the clearly annoyed and drunk girl who just rolled her eyes yet again. “I don’t know? Planning any murders lately,” Ava asked Caitlin with an attitude as she still didn’t trust Caitlin. 

Caitlin just sighed in frustration as Ava was acting like she wasn’t involved when she was. “Ava listen! Someone beat us to Nolan’s stash of secrets, so you better pray that he had nothing on you otherwise you are just as screwed as we are. In fact not just you, but your sister and brother would be screwed too. And stop drinking when you're supposed to be taking care of a toddler. That’s completely irresponsible and it's not setting a good example,” Caitlin whispered to Ava in annoyance and frustration hoping to knock some common sense into Ava. 

Ava just rolled her eyes again as she was about to say something back when they heard a sound like a video audio of herself, Caitlin, and Dylan talking in the woods the same night Nolan died. The three of them immediately panicked as they snuck away from the memorial and made their way to the woods to go investigate. 

After standing around in the dark woods for a while Ava began to get annoyed again as she didn’t understand why she kept finding herself hanging out with her fake friends. “What are we even doing here,” Ava asked the others in annoyance. Caitlin just sighed as she continued to look around. “Someone heard us that night. Maybe they left some evidence behind,” Caitlin told Ava and Dylan as she continued to look around for clues to who may have heard them talking the night Nolan was killed. 

“Guys they heard us talking about Nolan that night,” Dylan told them as he too looked around for clues. Ava just sighed as she looked at the other two knowing what they were getting at as they had all been angry that night and they had met up to talk about Nolan and how they wanted to stand up to him, but they knew it would be impossible. 

And that conversation had quickly turned from a normal conversation to them daydreaming about Nolan dying and how they would imagine him dying. Looking back on it Ava was so stupid for doing that especially since Mal and Carlos had been staying with her at the time and Carlos had been out that day, so she had Mal. 

She should have just stayed in the dorm with Mal, but she was upset over finding Nolan cheating on her and she needed to rant out to her “friends.” She wasn’t expecting anything big to happen and Mal was sleeping anyway, so Mal wouldn’t even notice that they had left the dorm. 

Gosh how stupid was she. Ava just sighed as she looked over at them. “And they heard us say we wished he was dead,” Ava told them joining in on Dylan’s conversation. Caitlin just nodded. “And they killed him just like we imagined to make it look like we did it,” Caitlin told the others as it was true. Nolan had been killed the exact way that Caitlin had imagined it happening and now someone had proof of her saying it. 

Dylan just quickly spotted something as he began to pick up the gum wrappers and the purple blanket bringing the stuff over to the girls. “Well we definitely weren't alone that night,” Dylan told the girls and they quickly went over to look at it. 

“Gum wrappers and a blanket?” Caitlin asked in confusion as she observed the items. Ava just rolled her eyes as she looked at the two. “Great, well we can rule out students with braces fantastic Dylan we’re on a roll! Oh and that blanket is Mal's. She lost it about a week ago, so that isn’t evidence!” Ava told Dylan sarcastically as she was annoyed. 

Dylan just rolled his eyes as he was getting sick of Ava’s attitude. “Are you always this negative and I just never realized,” Dylan asked Ava in annoyance as he was getting sick of Ava’s negative attitude about everything. 

Ava just rolled her eyes yet again as she was getting sick of pretending like she cared about Dylan and Caitlin. “Whatever Dylan paint me dark! I don’t care! I don’t care about you or about Caitlin. In fact I don’t even know why I’m out here! I have other things to deal with right now!” Ava told the two with no emotions as she couldn’t help herself. 

She was hurting and her “friends” tried to act like they cared, but all they cared about was keeping their perfect reputation. Meanwhile Ava was dealing with real problems. Like the fact that her parents are criminals and ran and the fact that she was now the sole care provider for her toddler sister and teenage brother when she was still in college and trying to figure out her life. 

On top of the fact that she lost her boyfriend and even though he had cheated on her she still loved him. And now Dana was back to ruin her life again. She was dealing with far more bigger problems than they were and yet they kept acting like their whole world was ending. 

Dylan immediately grabbed Ava stopping her from leaving. “Ava wait I’m sorry. Look I know this is harder on you than it is for us,” Dylan told Ava sincerely as he was feeling bad for being insensitive towards her when she was going through a lot as she had actually loved Nolan while he and Caitlin were actually relieved he was gone. 

Ava just sighed as she looked away from Dylan and Caitlin deciding to let out a little bit of her emotions to the two. “I just can’t believe he’s really gone,” Ava told them sadly while trying not to cry. 

Caitlin just gave her a sympathetic look as she was feeling bad for Ava. “We know Ava, but we just need to stick together…” Caitlin and Dylan both told her, making Ava scoff as she looked at them.

“There is no sticking together. You have Andrew! And Caitlin you have your moms. And me… I have a two year old and fourteen year old that are now relying on me to care for them and if I’m being honest I have no clue how to do that! I have no one to support me and in fact I now have to support two kids. That’s just the way it is,” Ava told the two as she grabbed the purple blanket that had strawberry and dragon prints on them as Mal had dropped her blanket that night Nolan had died and Mal had cried for days after that. 

“Um Ava maybe you shouldn’t...,” Caitlin tried to tell Ava, but stopped herself as she could see Ava didn’t want to hear any of it. “Maybe I shouldn’t what?” Ava asked the girl sarcastically, making Caitlin just look down, staying silent as she knew she had offended Ava again. 

She hadn’t meant to, but she had seen Ava taking the blanket with her and that blanket had been out in the woods for a week. She didn’t think it would be safe for the toddler, but she could see that Ava was clearly getting annoyed with them treating her like an irresponsible person.

Ava just rolled her eyes when Caitlin didn’t answer her. “That’s what I thought,” Ava told Caitlin as she just left heading back to her dorm as she needed to get back before Carlos or Mal had figured out she had left. 

As soon as she reached her dorm she froze when she saw that her door was wide open and Mal’s crib was empty and her dragon, pacifier, and new sippy cup was gone too. And there was a note next to the crib with a bunch of scribbles as Mal had woken up to find that Carlos was sleeping and Ava was missing. She had immediately gotten scared as she climbed out of her crib leaving a “note” for Carlos as she managed to stand on her tippy toes and open the door. Once she had the door open she made her way down the hall in search of her big sister. 

“No no no no no! This can’t be happening! Mal! Oh gosh can this night get any worse!” Ava almost screamed out in panic as she was freaking out, but she couldn’t let Carlos know that she had let Mal get out. She didn’t even know that Mal could reach the door. Ava just immediately grabbed her phone as she began to dial everyone she knew hoping that at least one person would have found her. 

Ava didn’t even care if she had completely just told them off. Ava just immediately clicked on the first name which was Dylan’s number as he had been trying to get a hold of her and she paced around waiting for Dylan to answer. Dylan answered right away to her relief. 

“Ava why are you calling? Is something wrong,” Dylan asked worriedly through the phone as Ava had just made it very clear that she didn’t care about them. “Yes! Have you seen a small purple haired toddler with a dragon stuffed animal, a purple pacifier around her neck, and a purple sippy cup?” Ava asked the boy in panic immediately, making alarm bells go off in Dylan’s head as he realized what Ava was saying. 

“Oh my gosh you lost your sister!” Dylan practically screamed out as he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He just quickly dropped his phone as he went running to Ava’s dorm wanting to help her find her two year old sister. 

  
  



	15. Finding Mal

While Ava and now Dylan were both panicking and trying to find Mal. The young two year old was making her way through the campus in search of her big sister. She wanted Ava back and she was really scared that Ava was leaving her for good. 

Mal had really bonded with Ava and she didn’t want Ava to go bye bye like her cousin Jay. Mal just started crying when she realized how scary and dark it was as the toddler was terrified of the dark. She decided to go back to her safe crib with her big brother, but as soon as the toddler turned to go back she realized she had no clue where she was. 

Mal just quickly went toddling over to the first “safe” place she could find and ended up in the student union where the new TA Alison Dilaurentis was as she was preparing for class the next day. Alison immediately recognized the crying toddler as she had seen Ava with Mal as the toddler was basically glued to her hip. Mal went everywhere with Ava, but right now it looked like the toddler was by herself. 

Alison just quickly put down her ipad as she walked over to the crying toddler wanting to help her as she was a mother herself to twin girls around Mal’s age and so she knew how to deal with a scared toddler. Alison just bent down to Mal’s level and smiled at her. “Hi there sweetie are you lost,” Alison asked the toddler sweetly and the small girl just nodded her head while she continued to cry. 

Alison just quickly picked up the toddler and sat her down on her lap as she pulled out her phone to call Ava as she was pretty sure that Ava was probably worried sick. She sighed when the phone went to voicemail as she tried another few times, but Ava still wasn’t answering. Alison just sighed as she decided to just leave a voicemail and if Ava didn’t respond by the time she was leaving to go home then she would just take Mal to Ava’s dorm herself. 

Alison just let the phone get to voicemail again. “Ava I just wanted to let you know that in case you were worried I have your sister. She ran into me at the Student Union and I thought you should know,” Alison told Ava through voicemail and then hung up. She just smiled a bit at the toddler as she was really missing her own little girls right now, but at least for now she had a toddler that she could entertain while she waited for Ava to come and find her sister. 

“I just called your sister and she should be here soon, but in the meantime do you want to play some games on my ipad. My girls love these games,” Alison told the toddler hoping to calm her and make her feel safe as she knew what it felt like to be lost and scared. 

Mal just smiled as she clapped her hands. “Yay! I wob dem too! Cawos we me pway dem on hid own!” The small girl told Alison excitedly, making Alison laugh. “Okay well here you go now I’m going to be working, but you can sit with me and play these games while we wait for your big sister,” Alison told the toddler who just smiled and nodded as she was now happy and content playing with Alison’s ipad. 

A few minutes later Ava along with Dylan and even Caitlin who they had called to help them as well came running into the Student Union as Ava had just checked her voicemails and her phone as she had been searching everywhere with Dylan and Caitlin’s help to find her sister. As soon as she had heard the voicemail from her new teacher she just quickly ran to the Student Union and her friends followed. 

When Ava got there she sighed in relief when Alison’s voicemail was true as Alison was sitting with Mal in her lap playing on an ipad. Ava just quickly ran over to Mal and just picked her up holding her so tightly as she had really thought she was never going to see her baby sister again. 

“Oh my gosh Mal there you are! What were you thinking! You practically gave me a heart attack! I thought I was never going to see you again! You are not leaving my side ever again! Now let’s go! You are in a serious time out!” Ava scolded as she didn’t even look at anyone else and just quickly took Mal back with her as she couldn’t help herself. Mal had scared her so much. She really did think she had lost her sister for good. 

When they got back to the dorm Ava sat Mal down in her crib as she started her lecture again. She didn’t even care if she woke up Carlos. Mal had seriously almost given her a heart attack and she wouldn’t let it happen again. 

“Mal listen to me we do not get out of our crib! Do you hear me! Climbing out of your crib is dangerous and if you climb out again you are going to time out for two minutes! And do you see this door! You are not to open that door ever! I don’t want to see you opening this door or that door or any of the windows! If I see you opening any of those you will be in time out for two minutes as well! Do you understand me Mal! What you did was completely dangerous and I thought I was never going to see you again! You can’t wander off by yourself! Now tell me you understand!” Ava screamed out to the toddler in her very stern voice. 

Mal just started crying as she didn’t like getting yelled at. She hadn’t meant to make Ava mad at her; she had just wanted her big sister and Ava had left. “I sowy mama! I no me to! I wan a fin you! I sowy mama pwease no yell! Mama I be goow I pomise,” The young toddler cried out making Ava freeze as she let Mal’s words sink in. Mama? Mal had just called her mama. 

“Mama! Mal did you just call me mama!” Ava asked the small girl in shock/panic. She didn’t know how to respond and Mal had just completely caught her off guard. She wasn’t a mom! Mal was her baby sister not her daughter! But a part of her was actually loving this. Mal calling her mama just showed that she had done it. She had managed to form a bond with Mal. 

She was brought back to reality when the small toddler began to freak out as she had realized that Ava seemed upset at her calling her mama. “I sowy Aba! I no me to caw you mama! I no do id aben!” The small girl cried out as she was now scared. She had accidentally made the mistake of calling the mean scary lady mama and the lady got so angry at her and she got another owie. 

Ava immediately picked up the toddler as she just rocked her a little. “Mal I’m not mad at you for calling me mama. If you want to call me that then you can. In fact Mal I think I would actually like it if you called me that from now on. Since I guess I am kinda like your mama now,” Ava told the toddler as it was true. Mal calling her mama showed that Mal really did care about her and understood that Ava was in charge of her now. And while the thought of being considered a mom was honestly terrifying, but at the same time she loved her baby sister and she was glad Mal saw her as her new mama. 

Mal just smiled as she looked at Ava. “Weawy! Yay I hab a mama! I hab a mama! I hab a mama now! Yay!” The small toddler screamed out as she began to run around the dorm excitedly making Carlos stir as he woke up from his sleep. “Ugh Mal! Go back to sleep, it's late!” Carlos told his baby sister making Mal shake her head no as she was too excited. 

“Cawos I no sweep! I hab a mama! I hab a mama! I hab a mama! I so habby! I hab a mama!” The small toddler screamed out happily as she ran around the dorm excitedly, but ended up passing out from exhaustion making Ava laugh as she picked up the toddler and placed her back in her crib, as she made her way to her bed to sleep, but as soon as she got on her bed to sleep she couldn’t. 

She couldn’t sleep. It was like she just physically could not sleep. Ava just sighed as she kept trying to sleep, but everytime she would close her eyes to sleep she would immediately open them again. Ava groaned when she saw the sun come up meaning it was morning time and she had literally stayed up all night. 

She couldn’t believe that had happened. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t sleep. She usually slept so easily. Ava just sighed when she looked at the time as she knew that she needed to get Carlos up and registered for school. Just as Ava was getting up from her bed to wake up her little brother and get ready for school the small toddler started jumping in her crib excitedly as she reached for Ava. 

“Mama! Mama upie! Mama upie!” The small toddler cried out making Ava smile again as she loved the way Mal said mama it had such a warm and loving feeling to it. “Okay Mal come here,” Ava told the toddler as she picked her up and placed her down in which Mal immediately ran over to Carlos and jumped on him like she used to do everyday back in Auradon. 

Carlos immediately sprung up when he felt the toddler jumping on top of him he just groaned as he wanted to sleep in. “Ugh Ava! Why is she out of the crib right now!” Carlos groaned out as he didn’t want to get up. 

Ava just laughed as she looked at Carlos. “Because it’s morning and you need to get up! We are having a family meeting in five minutes to discuss what we're doing for school, so get up because I still need to register you and get Mal registered in daycare and I have classes soon!” Ava told her brother, making him groan again as he didn’t want to go to school. 

“Ugh whyyyyy!” Carlos whined out making Ava sigh as she looked at him. “Carlos I’m giving you one more chance to get up or I’m letting Mal on you again,” Ava told her little brother, making him sigh as he sat up. “Alright fine I’m up! Don’t let the puppy out on me!” Carlos told Ava referring to his nickname for their baby sister. 

“Okay so um Ava I was actually wondering if I could continue school at Auradon Prep, but still come and stay here on weekends and holidays. I mean I actually really love Auradon Prep and my friends are there. The main reason I wanted to get out was because Mal was unsafe, but if she is here and safe then I wouldn’t have a problem going to Auradon Prep still,” Carlos told his big sister nervously as he was afraid of her response. It had nothing to do with her, but he really did love Auradon and he had so much fun when he went back with Jane when it was just him and not Mal. 

Ava didn’t know how to respond to what Carlos had said as she wasn’t expecting it. “You want to leave again,” Ava asked Carlos in shock, making Carlos immediately shake his head no. “No Ava it’s not like that I still want to see you guys all the time and I'll still live here on weekends and holidays. Plus I will video chat like everyday! It's just that when I went back with Jane I realized how much I really loved Auradon Prep when I had the freedom to just be a kid! Please Ava it’s like the only school that I’m really passionate about and I was thinking of joining the tourney team this year since I couldn’t before! And you guys could come and visit Auradon too! Please Ava,” Carlos told his big sister, making her sigh as she knew she had no choice. 

Her little brother was so excited to go back to Auradon Prep and she couldn’t crush that for him despite how much she wanted to tell him no and that he needed to go to a normal school. 

“Okay fine you can go to Auradon Prep, but here's the deal. Your grades stay up, you stay safe, you call and text me everyday and when I call or text you answer every time, and you come home every weekend unless there is a valid reason why. Now if you can handle that then I will let you stay at Auradon Prep, but if you break any of those rules kiss Auradon Prep goodbye because if you break any of those rules I’m pulling you out of Auradon Prep and enrolling you in the nearest public school. Do we have a deal,” Ava told Carlos, making him smile happily. 

“Yes! I love you so much Ava you’re the best sister ever!” Carlos screamed out forgetting about the tiny toddler in all of his excitement making the small girl cross her arms and pout as she looked at Ava. “Hey Carlos someone is mad at you for forgetting about them,” Ava told Carlos as she pointed to their pouting baby sister. 

“Oh my gosh Mal! I’m sorry! Ava’s not the best sister she’s the best big sister and you’re the best baby sister in the whole universe!” Carlos told the toddler, making her giggle happily. Ava just laughed as she picked up Mal changing her. “Nice save little brother,” Ava told Carlos, making him laugh. 

“Yeah well don’t you have class or something,” Carlos told Ava, making her laugh. “Yeah I do! Should I bring Mal with me or is she fine staying here with you?” Ava asked Carlos, but before Carlos could respond Mal ran over to Ava. “Mama I go wif you!” The small girl cried out making Carlos just look at Ava and Mal in shock. 

“She called you mama and you’re not totally flipping out! Who are you and what have you done with my big sister!” Carlos jokingly told Ava, making her laugh as she ruffled his hair. “Oh shush up! And she calls me mama now. Anyway I guess I’m taking Mal with me. I’ll see you soon okay. Don’t leave without saying goodbye alright!” Ava told her little brother, making him smile as he went over and hugged his sisters. 

“Don’t worry big sis I promise I won’t leave until you get back. Now get to class before you’re late,” Carlos told his big sister making her laugh. “Alright come on Mal. You better behave today though,” Ava told the toddler who just giggled. 

Ava just rolled her eyes as she entered her class and took her seat placing Mal on her lap. She then sent a quick text to her now sorta friends as she realized she never thanked them for helping her look for Mal last night. After she sent the text they both looked at her and then Mal and smiled a little and Ava did the same. She couldn’t believe she was admitting it, but she was actually starting to see Caitlin and Dylan as friends and not just people she was forced to hang out with. 

It probably had to do with the fact that they had dropped everything to help her find her baby sister last night and they didn’t judge her or make her feel worse they just helped support her. 

Ava froze when about five minutes into class she saw Dana Booker enter the class as she immediately asked to speak to her, Dylan, and Caitlin. Ava just quickly picked up Mal and followed the others out. She was terrified right now. She had no clue what Dana was planning, but she didn’t like it. 

  
  



	16. Parental Responsibilities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I’m really sorry for taking a while to update this, but school started back up again and so it’s been harder to find time to write, but I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you guys thought. And hopefully my next chapter won’t take as long to update. 

Ava sighed in relief when their new TA came to their rescue as she didn’t even let them answer any of Dana’s questions as she quickly lied for them claiming they were with her during Nolan’s murder and making Dana walk off. 

She wasn’t completely relieved though as she knew that Dana would be back as Dana never gave up that easily, but at least for now they were safe. Ava had to hold back a laugh when she heard Alison cuss as she was enjoying her victory over Dana and the small toddler in her arms that she had almost forgotten was even there just looked at Alison in shock. 

“Mama se sa a ba wow,” The small girl screamed out making Ava laugh a little as she couldn’t help it. “I know Mal,” Ava told the toddler, making the small girl look at Alison. “You sa a ba wow!” The small girl told Alison, making Alison laugh as Mal was really reminding her of her daughters. 

Before Alison could respond to the toddler Caitlin and Dylan just looked at Ava. “Did she call you mama? Since when did she start calling you that?” Caitlin asked Ava in shock making Ava roll her eyes. 

“This morning and why does it matter if she wants to call me that,” Ava told her “friend” a bit in annoyance as she didn’t get why Caitlin and Dylan kept seeing her as some heartless monster that didn’t like kids. 

Caitlin just sighed as she realized she offended Ava again. She hadn’t meant to, but it just shocked her to see Ava be totally fine with being called mama by her sister. “Ava I didn’t mean it like that. I think it’s cute, but it’s just a little shocking,” Caitlin told Ava hoping to ease the tension Ava just sighed as she looked at Caitlin. 

“It’s fine lets just get back to class,” Ava told the others and they all dropped it as they went back to their classes like nothing happened. “Mal sit down,” Ava told the toddler as she was trying to pay attention to her class, but the young toddler was no longer content just sitting down as it had been a few hours and Ava was now on her last class of the day. 

“No mama!” The small girl screamed out as she continued to climb up on the empty chairs. “Mal! I’m not going to tell you again! Stop climbing on the chairs and sit down!” Ava told the toddler making everyone look at her as she was disrupting class, but she honestly didn’t care. She didn’t like that the toddler wasn’t listening to her and that what she was doing was dangerous. 

The toddler just shook her head no as she stood up on one of the chairs, but she quickly lost her balance as she crashed to the floor and started screaming and crying immediately. Ava wasted no time as she picked up the sobbing toddler and then grabbed her bag getting up as she didn’t feel like concentrating in class anymore and she just didn’t care. 

“This is why I told you to stop, but you never want to listen to me. Come on let’s go get you cleaned up, and then you are in time out,” Ava told the toddler as she just left her class and made it back to her dorm. When she got back Carlos was just sitting on her bed watching TV. 

He immediately shut the TV off when he saw his big sister as he had been watching an R rated movie that he technically wasn’t supposed to be watching. “Oh hey Ava. Why are you back so soon don’t you still have like another class or something,” Carlos told his sister trying to distract her from seeing what he had been watching. 

Ava just rolled her eyes as she quickly found some disinfectant and a bandaid as she put it on the toddler and then placed her in the crib. “I know you’re hiding something and I will deal with that after I finish this,” Ava told her brother as she looked at the toddler. 

“Okay Mal you have two minutes in the crib because you are in time out. You got hurt because you wouldn’t listen to me, so you get a time out,” Ava told the toddler making the girl cry as she didn’t want a time out.

“Mal it’s not going to work on me now I will be back in two minutes and if you get out of your crib it will be longer,” Ava told the toddler as she was sick of the toddler not listening to her on anything and she kept letting the toddler get away with it with no punishment. 

The young girl just huffed as she sat down in her crib crossing her arms, but she did as she was told anyway not wanting to make Ava more upset at her. Ava just smiled a little as she saw it had worked, but she got stern again as she looked over at Carlos who was holding the remote behind his back. 

“Alright give me the remote!” Ava told her brother, making him sigh as he hesitantly handed his big sister the remote. Ava just turned on the TV and looked at the movie that Carlos had been watching. “Okay really?” Ava told her brother in annoyance as she turned the Tv back off and Carlos gave her a fake innocent smile. 

“Okay in my defense I’m practically 15! And by then I’m old enough to drive a car, so why shouldn’t I be able to watch this movie. Oh and before you give me that what if Mal saw speech the movie was supposed to end before you got home, but you left early for some reason! I think we should talk about that! You totally ditched class!” Carlos told his sister hoping to stop her from getting mad at him for watching something he wasn’t supposed to. 

“Okay you do not talk to me like that. I am older than you and I am in charge. You are still 14 and you have to be at least 17 or 18 to watch these movies, that's the rule and you know it. And Mal got herself hurt, so I had to leave to take care of her. I’m paying for these classes, so it’s not required and it’s only affecting me if I choose to miss a few classes to take care of my siblings that are now under my care,” Ava told her brother in a stern voice as she was mad that he thought he could just do what he wanted. 

Carlos just sighed as he knew Ava was right. “Okay fine! I’m sorry Ava you’re right it’s just that all of the cool kids in school have seen these movies and I want to be cool like them! Can I just finish the movie. Remember you’re supposed to be the cool older sister,” Carlos told his big sister making her roll her eyes as she looked at him. 

“Ha nice try, but I don’t get to be the cool older sister because I’m in charge of both you and Mal now, so I have to do what any other parent would do. I don’t care if you want to be like the “cool” kids and watch bad movies. I don’t like you watching them and there is a two year old that lives here,” Ava told her brother making him groan. 

“Mama!” The small girl screamed out from her crib as she wanted out and it felt like she had been in her crib forever. Ava just gasped as she had been so focused on lecturing Carlos she had forgotten about the toddler in time out. 

“I’m coming Mal!” Ava called out as she went and picked up the toddler placing her down and the toddler just looked at her. “You wie! Da towk fowebew!” The young two year old told her big sister, making Ava sigh as she was struggling with watching two kids while still being very young herself. 

“I know Mal I’m sorry. Your big brother distracted me. Come on let's go get some dinner now,” Ava told the toddler as she picked her up. Mal just looked at Carlos as she pointed to him. “Ba boy!” The young toddler told Carlos, making him laugh as he picked her up from Ava deciding to play along with her as he would be leaving early in the morning to go back to Auradon for the week and wouldn’t be seeing her for a whole week which was the longest he would have ever been away from her. 

“I’m a bad boy?” Carlos playfully asked his baby sister making her nod her head. “Yeah! You ma me sa in di mow fow wowew den oo miwiws!” The small girl told Carlos back, making him laugh as he tickled the pouting toddler making the girl start laughing. 

“Hehe! Sop id! Da tiwaws!” The small girl told Carlos while giggling, making him continue to tickle her. “Okay I’ll stop if you forgive me and say that you love me,” Carlos told the toddler who just continued to laugh. “Otay I fowgib you! An I wob you Cawos! Now no mow!” The young toddler told her brother, making him laugh as he placed Mal back down and the toddler ran over to Ava holding her hands up. 

“Mama upie!” The young girl told Ava, making Ava smile as she picked up the toddler. “Okay Mal now let’s go get some dinner because I’m hungry and you must be too,” Ava told both the toddler and Carlos who both nodded. 

“Yay foow!” The small girl screamed out making Ava and Carlos both laugh as they left the dorm to go to the student union and get some food. When they reached the student union she was immediately met with her new teacher who stopped her. 

“Oh Ava there you are. I wanted to tell you that I need you to meet me, Caitlin, and Dylan at my house before school tomorrow for a “studying lesson.” It’s pretty important that you come,” Alison told Ava and Ava immediately knew what Alison was trying to say. Alison wanted to discuss more about what happened earlier when she had lied for them about where they were when Nolan died, but she was talking in code as there were people around. 

Carlos just looked at the two in confusion while the toddler was just distracted playing with her sippy cup and oblivious to everything. “Why do you need to have a study session? Aren’t you smart and stuff. You had all a’s in high school!” Carlos told his sister not understanding that they weren't really talking about having a study session. 

“Yeah that sounds good. I’ll be there,” Ava told Alison who smiled. “I don’t get it! You don’t need tutoring with a teacher!” Carlos told his sister still not getting it. Ava just sighed in frustration as she looked at Carlos. 

“Carlos this is different. Now come on they have food over here. Goodbye Mrs. Dilaurentis I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ava told both her brother and then her teacher as she dragged Carlos away and towards the food not wanting him to expose what was happening and she didn’t even want him to know anything at all as she wanted to keep him from worrying about everything that was going on. 

  
  



	17. Bad Choices

Ava sighed as she was trying to listen to her new teacher as she, Caitlin, and Dylan were all at Alison’s house the next day before class discussing what was going to happen since Alison had lied for them. Ava was trying to pay attention, but she was also trying to keep an eye out on the toddler that kept getting super close to the fireplace as her curiosity got the best of her. 

It had a gate up, but there were still holes in between that Mal could easily fit her tiny hands through causing her even more anxiety. Ava lost all concentration though when the toddler got sick of just staring at the fireplace as she was curious about what it felt like and she began to stick her hand through one of the holes, so she could touch the fire. 

Ava didn’t even hesitate as she quickly got up from the couch and grabbed the toddler. “Mal! No! Don’t touch that! Come here! You are going to sit with me now!” Ava scolded out to the toddler as she picked her up and sat her down with her on the couch. 

“Otay!” The small girl told Ava as she immediately found her spot on the couch and smiled as she laid back on the couch getting comfortable with her sippy cup and dragon. Ava just rolled her eyes a little at the toddler’s behavior as she just looked over at her teacher again letting her teacher continue despite the fact that she didn’t really know if she could even trust her, but she had no choice at this point as Alison had involved herself with them. 

Finally after another few minutes Alison finished her conversation basically telling them to stick together and act normal. “Okay well that’s all for now. Remember you need to stick together and act normal. And I’ll see you all soon in class,” Alison told the three college students who just nodded as Ava picked up the toddler making the girl get upset as she had been chilling on the couch and didn’t want to get up. 

“No! I sa!” The small girl screamed out and Ava just groaned as she picked up the toddler anyway. “Mal we have to leave now. Lets go,” Ava told the toddler as she picked up the toddler and followed after Caitlin and Dylan. 

“Do you two think it would be wrong for me to get one of those toddler leashes,” Ava jokingly asked the two other college students, but she was also being somewhat serious as they were now just walking around before class, and the young toddler kept running off meaning Ava would keep having to grab her and bring her back over to them. 

Dylan just laughed a little as he watched Ava grab the toddler again. They had been in the middle of having a conversation about trust between each other and with Alison, but when Ava was in the middle of having a conversation the toddler kept running off and Ava had to keep grabbing her causing her to forget her earlier conversation. 

“Okay maybe we should sit down for a little bit,” Dylan told the two girls when he spotted a table and benches and the girls just nodded as they sat down. 

They then began to talk about how everything was going for them all as they were trying to make small talk, but Caitlin then mentioned that she needed them to help her with a volunteer thing and that’s when the small talk basically ended as Dylan was way too busy for that and Ava was too as she had a vogue audition video to record as she had been slacking off with that, but it was due the next day and she also had to keep a toddler entertained while also attending classes and studying. 

“Okay well we gotta get to class. I’m sorry Caitlin, but we’re just too busy,” Ava told the girl as she picked up the toddler again and they made their way into class. Ava immediately got angry when she saw Nolan’s ex best friend Mason walk in and sit right in Nolan’s seat as if telling the world that he was the new replacement. 

Ava hated seeing him sitting in Nolan’s old seat as she angrily told him to get out of the seat, but the boy just smirked as he continued to sit in the seat and that’s when Ava lost it as she couldn’t help herself. She was still grieving and she didn’t like that some guy was sitting in her late boyfriend's seat. 

“I said get out of his seat Mason!” Ava screamed out as she lunged towards Mason, but got held back by Dylan who was trying to calm her down. Ava was so angry that she had completely forgotten about the toddler that was now sobbing and trying to hide as Ava was acting mean and scary and was reminding her of the mean and scary lady that used to give her owies. 

Ava just quickly pushed past Dylan as she grabbed her bag angrily. “Mal let’s go! Now! We’re leaving,” Ava screamed out as she was upset and the toddler didn’t even hesitate as she quickly got up and followed after Ava the best she could as Ava was way faster than her. 

When they got back to the dorm Ava didn't even hesitate as she went straight for her alcohol as she was angry and hurting over Mason sitting in Nolan’s seat. The small toddler just followed after Ava as she pointed to the drink in curiosity. 

“Wa da?” The young girl asked her big sister and Ava just sighed as she looked at the toddler. “It’s alcohol Mal,” Ava told the girl who just nodded as she reached over and tried to grab some, making Ava immediately panic. “NO! Mal! You can’t drink this!” Ava screamed out in panic as she ripped the cup of alcohol away from the toddler’s reach. 

This action just made the toddler start crying as she was thirsty. “Bu I wan id!” The young two year old screamed out and Ava just groaned as she went to her mini fridge looking for some milk to give to the toddler, but they were all out and all they had left was soda. 

She just stared at the soda as she began to debate if doing this was a good idea, but unfortunately she was already a bit under the influence and wasn’t thinking as clearly as she should. She just grabbed the soda can as she opened it and stuck it inside of Mal’s sippy cup. 

“Well we’re all out of strawberry milk and I don’t feel like going out and getting more, so enjoy this,” Ava told the toddler as she handed her the sippy cup full of soda and the small girl just looked at the drink as she didn’t know if she should trust the strange new drink. 

“Wa dis?” The small girl asked Ava who just smiled a little as she looked at the toddler. “It’s soda Mal. It tastes good and it’s all we have left,” Ava told the toddler who stared at the drink for a little longer before giving in and taking a sip. 

When the girl took a sip she immediately lit up as she began to drink more and more of the soda. “I wob id!” The small girl screamed out as she began to fill with so much energy. Ava just looked over at the hyper toddler as she knew she had just messed up, but she was just too out of it to really care. 

“Mal. Can you go play in your room. I have to record something important,” Ava told the toddler as she needed to record her vogue audition, but just as the small girl was about to go into her “room” the door barged open as a blonde haired girl stood outside of it. 

Ava just groaned in frustration when she realized it was her sorta friend Zoe that she honestly couldn’t stand at most times. The girl immediately gave Ava a judgmental look as she saw Ava was drinking while getting ready to film and running around all crazily was a small toddler drinking what looked to be a very dark liquid. 

Ava just sighed as she knew what was coming next as the annoying blonde just made her way into Ava’s dorm and Ava just knew whatever the annoying blonde said next was going to be full of so much judgement that she honestly wasn’t in the mood to hear. 

  
  



	18. Drunken Talks

Ava groaned as she had been right and the annoying blonde girl didn’t disappoint as she began to nervously make judgemental comments about her and her parenting as well. “Um Ava you’re not really going to record your vogue interview right now and please tell me that what that child is drinking isn’t what I think it is,” Zoe told Ava making Ava roll her eyes as she picked up the sippy cup from Mal and handed it to Zoe. 

“Is it what you think it is?” Ava sarcastically told Zoe while sipping on her own drink knowing already what Zoe was getting at. Ava was drinking and the color of the drink Mal had was a very dark colored drink. It was obvious that Zoe really thought that Ava was that messed up to give a toddler alcohol. 

Before Zoe could really tell what was in the sippy cup the small toddler started throwing a fit as she began to reach for her sippy cup back. “My! Gib ba! My! My! My! Gib id ba!” The small toddler screamed out as she wanted her sippy cup back. 

Zoe just hesitantly handed the drink back to Ava and Ava rolled her eyes again as she handed it back to the toddler that immediately stopped crying once she had it back. “Relax I did not give my two year old sister alcohol! And I have to record my vogue interview right now. It's due tomorrow!” Ava told Zoe in frustration as she downed another sip of her drink making Zoe feel more worried. 

“Yeah but…” Zoe began but Ava cut her off. She was too drunk to listen to Zoe’s complaints. “But what Nolan died! Or wait let me guess it’s because I’m now a single mom basically! Is that another reason that I shouldn’t be filming my vogue interview right now! Well guess what life moves on and in fact I need this vogue internship to get a better career and help provide for my little sister and brother!” Ava practically screamed out as she wasn’t able to really think clearly. 

The small toddler noticed that her new mama was upset as she carefully climbed up on the bed and smiled when she had managed to get up without hurting herself. “Yay I dib id,” the small toddler congratulated herself as she smiled and clapped her hands excitedly. She then carefully made her way over to Ava and sat down in her lap. 

Ava just smiled a little as she moved her cup, so that the toddler couldn’t reach it and so that it wouldn’t spill, but she got annoyed again when she saw that Zoe was still just standing at her door and just staring at her and Mal.

“What?” Ava told the blonde in frustration and the small toddler just gave Zoe the same look. “Yeah! Wa!” The small girl told the older blonde as she was trying to be like Ava making Ava laugh a little before getting stern again and looking at Zoe. 

“Nothing it’s just that you’re day drinking which is something I’ve never seen you do before this week and I’m really worried about what that toddler is drinking. I’m assuming it’s juice and you’re supposed to water it down, but that doesn’t look watered down and I really don’t think you should be drinking around her,” Zoe told Ava nervously as she was trying not to make Ava go off, but there were just things that Zoe couldn’t ignore. 

“I know what I’m doing so stop trying to tell me what to do! I’m sick of people trying to tell me how to parent! And for your information it’s soda not juice!” Ava told Zoe with an attitude making the blonde girl feel even more uncomfortable. 

The small toddler just held up her sippy cup trying to be like Ava again. “Yeah! Id sowa no uwce!” The young girl told Zoe with as much attitude as a toddler could have as she then took a sip of her soda. And Ava laughed again as she found it funny and adorable how Mal was trying to back her up and copy her. 

“Ava I really don’t think that she should be drinking soda. I heard it’s really bad for toddlers and I just don’t think you should be drinking around her,” Zoe told Ava nervously hoping to snap Ava out of her drunkenness. 

Ava just rolled her eyes as she saw that Zoe was wearing her coat again despite the fact that Ava had told her multiple times to stop taking her coat. “Yeah and I really don’t think you should be wearing my coat again which is something I’ve seen you do a lot of,” Ava told the girl trying to change the subject and bring attention away from her and her parenting. 

And the young toddler had no clue what Ava was talking about, but she still wanted to be like her. “Yeah!” The small girl screamed out making Zoe feel very uncomfortable and awkward knowing that Ava had caught her. “Oh wow how did that happen,” Zoe nervously told Ava in a fake clueless act making Ava just take another sip as she looked at the girl. 

“Keep it. It looks good on you,” Ava told the girl just wanting Zoe to leave her dorm despite the fact that she loved that coat and definitely didn’t want to give it to Zoe. Zoe just gave her a nervous smile. “Really, but didn’t your dad give you this? If you’re serious then you have to be wasted,” Zoe told Ava and Ava winced a little at the mention of her dad especially with her two year old sister in the room. 

Before Ava could respond the toddler looked at Ava. “We hab a dada?” The small girl asked her big sister in confusion and Ava sighed as she didn’t want to have this conversation with her sister. Especially because her parents had given up their rights to ever even see her or Carlos, but she really didn’t want to tell her two year old sister that. 

“Yes Mal we do,” Ava told the toddler hoping that Mal would take that answer and calm down, but it did the opposite as the toddler started asking her more questions making Ava look at Zoe in frustration. “Wew dada?” The small girl asked Ava making her look at Zoe in anger as it was Zoe’s fault for mentioning her dad around her toddler sister. 

“Well look what you did! Isn’t today sorority rush or something!” Ava practically screamed out not wanting to deal with Zoe anymore. Zoe just looked around nervously as she could see that she messed up even though she hadn’t meant to. She didn’t realize that the toddler would even know what she was talking about. 

“BHU doesn’t have sororities and it’s volunteer week remember,” the blonde college student told Ava hoping to change the subject, and Ava took that to her advantage as she got up picking up the toddler that was still asking the same question over and over again. 

She then practically pushed the girl out the door. “Great so go do that and leave me alone! Now thanks to you I have to have a serious conversation with a two year old that I really don’t want to have!” Ava told the girl as she pushed her out of her dorm. 

The girl just looked at Ava before Ava shut the door. “Ava I’m worried about you and your sister,” Zoe told Ava and Ava just nodded as she practically shut the door on Zoe. “Mama! Wew aw weaw dada an mama? Cawos nebew tow me!” The small girl asked Ava once she shut the door and Ava just grabbed her drink taking another huge sip before looking at the toddler again. 

  
  



	19. Remembering A Parental Scare

Ava just sighed as she was way too drunk to deal with such a heavy topic as where their father was especially when talking to someone that was barely even old enough to talk. “Mal can we not talk about this right now. Now just please go to your room and play in there,” Ava told the toddler as she didn’t want to talk about their parents and what they did. 

“Otay!” The small girl screamed out as Ava placed her down and the toddler went running for her “room.” Once the toddler was in her “room” Ava turned on her video, so she could record her vogue interview. While Ava was distracted with that the small toddler left her room as she became curious about what Ava was doing. 

She just made her way towards the bed as she climbed up on it again and immediately smiled when she saw the camera and saw herself. “Hehe! Hi!” The small toddler screamed out as she waved at herself in the video and giggled. 

Ava sighed as she finished the video and looked over at the toddler that had video bombed her video. “Mal I told you to stay in your room,” Ava told the toddler in frustration and the small girl just gave her a cute innocent smile. “I wanna be wif you! I sowy I no do id aben,” the young toddler told Ava and Ava just smiled as she looked at the adorable and innocent toddler. 

“You are so mischievous! Alright come here! How about this we take a little nap and afterwards we can go to the park,” Ava told the toddler as she picked the small girl up and placed her in the crib. 

“Yay!” The small girl screamed out excitedly as she sat down in her crib and went to sleep. “Nigh nigh mama! Wob you,” the small girl told Ava as she closed her eyes and took a nap and Ava just sighed in relief as she loved her sister, but she really needed some quiet time especially because she needed to let some of the effects of the alcohol wear off more. 

Once Ava was sure Mal was situated she sat back on her bed and before she knew it she was drifting off. Ava was surprised when she woke up about 5 hours later.

She couldn’t believe that she had slept for that long especially during the day, but she hadn’t been getting much sleep recently as Mal didn’t like sleeping at night and despite the fact that Carlos called her everyday she couldn’t help but still worry about him. And for once she actually felt refreshed which she hadn’t felt in a while. 

Ava just quickly got up as she went to check on the toddler as she hadn’t heard any sounds from her since she woke up which was kind of concerning. Ava smiled when she saw the toddler still passed out with her dragon toy in her hand and the pacifier in her mouth as Ava had still yet to get that pacifier from her as the toddler was sneaky and had so many hiding spots. 

Ava smiled as she looked at her sleeping baby sister. The young girl looked so adorable and peaceful when sleeping that Ava honestly didn’t want to wake her up yet despite the fact that Mal had been napping for five hours. Ava just carefully picked up the sleeping toddler and sat her down in her lap on the bed as she smiled and ran her fingers through the toddler’s purple dyed hair that she still had. 

As Ava was just holding the sleeping toddler and rocking her in the quiet dorm she couldn’t help, but let her mind wander to the time she had almost lost her baby sister after just getting her back it had been one of the scariest moments in her life and she just couldn’t stop thinking about what could have happened that day. 

**Flashback**

Ava sighed as she sat on the lawn chair in her secret boyfriend Nolan’s backyard while trying to fix something on her youtube channel. She had been in charge of her little siblings for less than a day and she already had no clue where her little brother was and her sister was just running around in Nolan’s backyard while she was having a secret pool date with him after their classes had ended for the day. 

She had wanted to skip it as she was busy especially now that her siblings were back, but Nolan didn’t want her to cancel and she figured she could work there and Mal was so young she would have no clue what was going on anyway. 

Nolan just smiled when he saw what she was doing. “You know you could hire someone to do the day to day stuff or you know what else may help you gain a lot of money,” Nolan told his girlfriend as he pointed to the toddler that was twirling around in circles on the grass swinging her dragon around as well. 

Ava just looked over to see that Nolan was pointing to her sister. “I’m not outsourcing my brand and why are you pointing to my sister,” Ava told her boyfriend, making him laugh. “Because you have a kid now those things are like a gold mine on youtube! Just think of how much more money and recognition you would get if you started making videos with her in them,” Nolan told Ava who just sighed as she watched her sister play as she was debating it, but quickly snapped out of it as she realized that wouldn’t be right to do to her sister especially when their family was already a big name out there because of their dad. 

“Nolan I can’t do that to her! Besides the whole point of my youtube channel is to make a name for myself with my fashion designs. Not to use my toddler sister for views. When people hear the name Jalali I want them to think of me and my brand not my dad and definitely not my two year old sister,” Ava told Nolan as she didn’t agree with the idea of showing her sister off for anyone to see on the internet especially with what was going on with their parents. 

Nolan just smirked as he looked at his girlfriend. “And they will, but I’m just saying think of how many more people would follow you and your designs if you started posting videos with your sister. I mean have you seen how much money and views those people make,” Nolan told Ava who just smiled as she placed her laptop down. 

“Yeah I guess you’re right, but I would rather just focus on my fashion designs like that vogue internship that I really want,” Ava told Nolan who smiled as she he looked into her eyes. “Don’t worry about that it’s a lock,” Nolan told Ava who smiled as the two of them began to make out that is until the small toddler that had been twirling around saw what they were doing as she was confused. 

The young two year old just toddled over to Ava and Nolan as she didn’t understand what they were doing. “Aba wa you dowing?” The small toddler called out making Ava immediately pull back as she looked at the toddler in complete shock as she had completely forgotten about her sister. 

“Nothing! It’s boring grown up stuff please go back over there,” Ava told the toddler who just nodded. “Otay!” The small girl screamed out as she ran back over by the grass and started twirling around again. Once they were sure the toddler was distracted Ava smiled as she looked back at her boyfriend. “So where were we,” Ava playfully told her boyfriend as she ran her fingers through his hair and he smiled. 

“I believe we were doing this,” Nolan told Ava as they began to kiss again, but quickly stopped when they heard a splashing sound as they looked over to see the toddler who was struggling to stay up in the pool as she had jumped in the pool after her pacifier had flown out and landed in there and she had fallen in trying to get it. 

“Mal! Oh my gosh what do we do!” Ava screamed out after Nolan had quickly jumped in and grabbed the toddler that was unconscious and Ava was immediately filled with a state of panic and hysterics as she ran to the toddler and checked for breathing and a pulse while she quickly did CPR on the toddler when she found her not breathing. 

“Come on Mal don’t do this to me! I can’t lose you! Breathe Mal please! Come on! Come on Mal! Mal please don’t die on me! Breathe Mal! Breathe!” Ava screamed out hysterically as she couldn’t lose her baby sister. 

She was so careless and now she probably just got her two year old sister that she had been in charge of for less than a day killed. Ava was immediately filled with a sense of relief when the toddler finally started spitting up the water and started breathing again making Ava immediately pick up the toddler and pat her back helping her get the water out and when she was done she quickly held the sobbing and terrified toddler close to her as Nolan quickly ran and grabbed a towel wanting to help. 

Ava just gave him a grateful look as she quickly wrapped the towel around the toddler to dry her off and then quickly said goodbye as she rushed the toddler to the ER where they had to run a bunch of tests where they determined she was fine, but they wanted to monitor her over night to be sure, so they had to stay overnight in the hospital. 

Once they had been settled in a room Ava just looked at the toddler that had Ivs in her arms, but was smiling happily as if nothing happened. “Aba?” The small girl asked her big sister who immediately answered thinking it was something serious. “Yeah Mal what’s wrong,” Ava asked the toddler in panic and the girl just gave her an innocent look. “Di you ge my paci?” The small girl innocently asked Ava making her laugh at the innocent toddler as she knew Mal was okay. 

“You did all this for a pacifier?” Ava asked the toddler, making the small girl nod and before Ava could say more Carlos showed up as he had heard what happened and he quickly smiled as he looked at the toddler. “Mal! I’m so glad that you’re okay! Look what I got you,” Carlos told the toddler as he pulled out a new pack of pacifiers making the small girl get so excited as she reached for them. 

“Yay! Mow pacies!” The young girl screamed out, making Ava and Carlos laugh as they knew that their baby sister was going to be fine despite her having a drowning scare. 

**Flashback Ends**

Ava sighed as she came out of her flashback and quickly shook that scary memory away as she came back to reality and looked down at the sleeping toddler with the pacifier. 

Okay I really need to get rid of that thing Ava though as she looked at the pacifier. “Okay sleepy head it’s time to get up. You can’t sleep all day,” Ava playfully told the sleeping toddler as she pulled the pacifier out of her mouth and laughed when the toddler immediately woke up once she did that. 

“Paci! My!” The small girl screamed out as she reached towards the pacifier that Ava had taken from her making Ava laugh as she found it funny. “If you want this back then you have to ask for it nicely because screaming mine isn’t very nice,” Ava told the toddler and smiled when the small girl looked at her again. 

“Mama pwease gib paci ba! I wob you,” the small girl told Ava, making Ava laugh as she handed the pacifier back to the toddler and helped her off the bed. “Aw you really are adorable maybe I should make a youtube channel with you,” Ava playfully told the toddler as she held up a camera pretending to film. 

“What do you think Mal? Should I make my youtube channel with you in it too?” Ava playfully told the toddler and laughed when the toddler just took off running while screaming. “Well I’ll take that as no,” Ava jokingly said out loud as she ran and picked up the toddler. 

“Alright come on Mal let’s go to the park since we could use some time outside maybe it will help me come up with a better answer for my interview,” Ava playfully told the toddler who smiled and clapped her hands excitedly.

“Yay Pawk!” The small toddler screamed out as she took off running out the door. “Mal wait for me,” Ava screamed out as she followed after the excited toddler. 

  
  



	20. Starting To Be Friends

“An den! An den! Mama! Mama!” The young toddler screamed out to Ava as she was trying to tell Ava some made up story while they were walking back to the dorms after going to the park. Ava just laughed as she looked at the toddler. “Okay Mal. Yes I’m listening keep going,” Ava told the toddler who smiled as she continued to tell Ava a made up story. 

“Oh really?” Ava asked the toddler playfully and laughed more when the toddler nodded her head not being able to tell that Ava was faking her reactions. “Yeah! An den! An den! An den! Da dwagin was wike woaw! Wike da!” The small toddler told Ava as she began to run around and make roaring sounds trying to be like a dragon. 

“Uh huh yeah I see! Oh look Mal we’re home,” Ava told the toddler making the small girl clap her hands excitedly. “Yay! Howm!” Mal screamed out excitedly making Ava laugh again as she opened the door and the toddler went running into the dorm. 

Ava smiled a little when she saw her sorta friend Caitlin in her dorm. “Oh hey,” Ava told Caitlin as she was trying to make more of an effort to be friendly with her. Caitlin just gave her a nervous smile as she looked up at her. 

“Hey um door was unlocked,” Caitlin nervously told Ava as she had been bringing Ava the gift that Nolan had left for her before he died and she was going to just drop it off and leave once she realized Ava wasn’t home, but Ava got back before she could. 

“Yeah um I was just taking Mal out for some exercise and fresh air at the park. I thought you would be at the student union doing that volunteer stuff,” Ava told Caitlin who just took a deep breath as she held the gift to Ava. 

“This is from Nolan. His mom thought it was for me, but he never remembered my birthday, so it has to be for you,” Caitlin told Ava who just quickly grabbed the present from Caitlin as she began to open it. 

Ava immediately filled with sadness as she saw what the gift was as it was so meaningful to her and their relationship. The small toddler just ran over to Ava as she tried to see what the gift was.

“Wa id is! Wa id is! Mama wa id is! Can I see! Mama can I see! Why you sa?” The small two year old screamed out making Ava sigh as she looked at the toddler. “It’s nothing Mal and I’m fine,” Ava told the toddler who just nodded as she went back to her toys. 

“Hey this means a lot that you would bring this to me,” Ava told Caitlin who just nodded. “Yeah well I should get back to the student union. I have like 800 more bags to stuff,” Caitlin told Ava, making Ava feel bad as she realized that she wasn’t the only one struggling and Caitlin was nice enough to make sure she got Nolan’s gift when she didn’t have to. 

“Actually wait up I’m coming with you,” Ava told Caitlin, making her give Ava a confused look. “But I thought you were busy and what about Mal,” Caitlin asked Ava as she pointed to the toddler that was running around and knocking stuff down making Ava wince a little as she knew it was going to take forever to clean up. 

“You went out of your way to do something nice for me. And I made you promise besides maybe Mal will get all of her energy out and pass out early. Plus I let Zoe have my coat and I want it back,” Ava told Caitlin who just laughed they both left the room, but Ava quickly ran back to the dorm when she realized she forgot about Mal. 

“Oh my gosh! I forgot about Mal again! I need to start putting a bell on that kid!” Ava screamed out as she ran back to the dorm and opened the door picking up the toddler that had managed to completely trash the dorm in the short amount of time Ava had left her alone and she was covered in purple and green marker. 

“Hewo mama!” The young two year old told Ava with an innocent little smile making Ava just sigh as she looked at the dorm. “Mal what did you do,” Ava asked the toddler and the girl just smiled 

“I fis id!” The young girl told Ava with a sweet smile making Ava sigh again as she wanted so badly to be mad at the girl for trashing the dorm and coloring all over herself, but she just couldn’t do it with how adorable Mal was being. 

“Okay well now I have to refix it later. And let’s get that marker off of you,” Ava told the small girl as she grabbed a baby wipe and tried to wipe the markers off, but it wouldn’t come off making Ava scrub harder in frustration. 

“Owie! Mama sop I’d! Da huws!” The young two year old cried out as she began to fight and squirm. “I know Mal, but I have to get it off of you! If you didn’t color on yourself this wouldn’t have happened,” Ava told the girl as she continued to scrub hard causing the toddler to keep trying to fight it until Ava had enough and eventually just gave up. 

“Okay fine Mal I give up! You can just be Barney today,” Ava told the toddler in frustration as she had tried to get the marker off the toddler, but it didn’t work. Mal just smiled as she clapped her hands excitedly. “Yay! Bawey! Cawos sow me id! I wob Bawey!” The small two year old screamed out excitedly as she began to sing Barney songs making Ava groan as she knew she messed up as the toddler sang the songs the entire way to the student union. 

Caitlin smiled when she saw Ava again. “Oh you did decide to come. I didn’t think you were coming after you left halfway here,” Cailtlin told Ava who laughed as she pointed to the toddler covered in purple and green marker while singing songs.

“I accidentally forgot this little adorable trouble maker. And when I found her she was covered in markers and had completely trashed the dorms. I swear you take your eyes off of them for a second and all hell breaks loose. They are so tiny, but so destructive,” Ava told Caitlin who just laughed as she looked at the toddler giving off the most adorably innocent look. 

“Oh wow. Well I’m still glad you decided to still come help,” Caitlin told Ava who just smiled a little and nodded. “Yeah it’s no problem, so what do I do,” Ava asked Caitlin who just started explaining what to do and Ava nodded as she began to fill the bags, but she stopped when she saw the toddler trying to copy her. 

“Aw Mal what are you doing,” Ava playfully asked the toddler, making the girl smile as she held up an item. “I be wike you!” The young two year old told Ava, making her and Caitlin laugh as Ava picked up the toddler and placed her on the table. 

“Okay come here. You can be my little helper. Now when I ask you for something I want you to hand it to me okay,” Ava told the toddler who smiled and nodded excitedly making Ava smile as well as she could keep Mal busy while also helping her sister learn a little bit. 

“Yay!” The young girl screamed out excitedly as she began to help Ava fill up the bags. About an hour later Dylan showed up as well making Ava smile a little as she was actually starting to see him as a friend now too. 

They continued to fill up bags and boxes for hours as they were actually starting to bond. Ava laughed a little when Dylan got upset about her eating all the candy corn causing them to all start playfully fighting and teasing each other. While they were doing that the small toddler saw a box as she immediately filled with happiness and climbed inside as she began to play around in the box. 

Zoe just watched it all in disgust and annoyance as she went over to the group. “Glad to see the kids are having fun while the adults are doing all the work. And Ava you aren’t even watching the actual kid! Where even is she,” Zoe told the group in annoyance making Ava start mocking her. 

“I know exactly where my sister is,” Ava told Zoe, making Zoe roll her eyes as she left. Once Zoe left Ava immediately began to search for Mal with her eyes and sighed in relief when she saw the small girl sitting in a box. “Oh thank gosh!” Ava told her friends, making them laugh as they looked to see what Ava was talking about. 

“So you did lose your sister and you know what she is kinda right,” Caitlin told the two who just nodded. “Yeah you’re right let’s get back to work,” Dylan told the two, making Caitlin laugh. “No I meant the fun part,” Caitlin told the group, making Ava laugh as she continued to play around the styrofoam pieces throwing them at Dylan playfully. 

“Yeah you know I think I actually like hanging out with you guys,” Ava told the two as they continued to talk as their silly fun turned into serious Dana talk and they agreed to go check out some more stuff relating to it all.

“I need to tell you something. Come on we have to drive there, but I need to get Mal first,” Ava told the two as she remembered something about the night Nolan died that might be able to help them. She then sighed as she walked over to the box that Mal was playing in. 

“Mal what are you doing,” Ava asked the toddler who smiled. “Box!” The small girl told Ava, making Ava laugh. “Okay, but come on we have somewhere to be now,” Ava told the toddler who shook her head no as she pulled the flaps down.

“Okay well I guess then Mal is just going to get shipped away with the other donations. Wow someone is going to get a free almost brand new toddler. Okay well I guess my work here is done,” Ava told the toddler playfully and laughed when the toddler just opened up the flap and waved. 

“Otay bye bye!” The small girl told Ava making her roll her eyes playfully as she looked at the toddler. “Okay Mal come on. I’m serious we gotta leave and I am not letting you get shipped away,” Ava told the toddler as she picked her up from the box causing Mal to start crying as she didn’t want to leave the box. 

When she finally reached the others they just looked at the toddler in confusion. “What happened?” Caitlin asked Ava who sighed as they started heading towards her car. “She’s mad at me for not letting her get shipped away with all of the donations,” Ava told the two who just started laughing as they made it to Ava’s car and got in. 

“Wait actually,” Dylan asked Ava who just sighed. “Yes actually! Toddlers are strange creatures I swear! Anyway now onto what I was saying. I have to tell you guys something about what happened the night Nolan died,” Ava told the others as she began to drive towards the location she wanted to show them. 

  
  



	21. School Troubles

“Ava! Come get Mal!” Carlos screamed out as he was back from Auradon for the week as Auradon Prep was doing classes online for the next week as the school building wasn't able to be open and Carlos missed his sisters, so he decided to go home to do his online classes, but Mal wouldn’t leave him alone and kept trying to get in his classes. 

Ava just laughed as she watched the small toddler trying to get in their brother’s online class. It had been a few days since the whole donation thing and they were all just hanging out in the dorm but Ava was about to go meet up with her friends soon. 

“Hi! Ooh I membew you! An you! An you! An you! An…” The small girl screamed out excitedly as she started pointing to everyone in the online classroom making the people laugh while Carlos was just embarrassed. “Ava! Seriously come get your kid!” Carlos screamed out making Ava laugh again as she was enjoying this. 

“Aw come on Carlos. Your baby sister just wants to spend some time with her big brother that she hasn’t seen in a week,” Ava playfully told Carlos who just sighed as he looked over to see the toddler smiling while she was holding up her toys having a show and tell with the teens.

“An dis is my dwagin! See goes woaw! An dis is my kitty an see goes meow! An dis won is my dowy! An see goes woof!” The young toddler was telling the class as she held up her toys, making Carlos groan as the other teens were all cheering her on fueling her to continue.

“Well at least she knows her animal sounds,” Ava told Carlos who just glared at her. “Ava!” Carlos screamed out making her laugh. “Okay relax I’m getting her. Mal come on. Carlos needs to focus,” Ava told the toddler who shook her head no. 

“No wanna! I say hew!” The small girl cried out making Ava sigh as she looked at Carlos. “Well I tried! I gotta go now anyway, have fun you two,” Ava told Carlos playfully, making him groan. “Ugh Ava! Carlos screamed out making her laugh as she picked up the toddler causing the small girl to get upset. 

“I’m kidding Carlos. I’m not going to just leave her here with you. Come on Mal let’s go. Carlos needs to focus on school and we need to meet up with my friends,” Ava told the toddler who just got more upset. 

“No wanna!” The young two year old screamed out. “But Mal you love Caitlin and Dylan,” Ava told the toddler who just looked at Ava as she pointed to the online class. “I wan!” Mal screamed out making Ava sigh as she grabbed her stuff anyway as she had to meet up with her friends. 

“Come on Mal. I know you want to be in his classes, but Carlos really needs to focus or he is going to fail and then he won’t be going to that school anymore,” Ava told the toddler, making Carlos immediately look at Ava in shock. 

“What!” Carlos screamed out after making sure his video was muted. And Ava just rolled her eyes as she placed the toddler down who ran for Carlos’s backpack to play around with while Ava looked at her little brother. 

“Yeah remember that was part of the deal. You keep your grades up or you leave that school,” Ava told Carlos who immediately got a look of panic on his face as he had been doing really bad in chemistry. 

“Oh well it’s a good thing my grades are all good,” Carlos told Ava quickly as he tried to go back to his lesson, but the small toddler that had been playing around with Carlos’s backpack just pulled out a crumpled up piece of paper that Carlos immediately recognized as his report card and he quickly tried to grab it from his baby sister before Ava could see. 

Before Carlos could do that Ava looked over and noticed the paper in the toddler’s hands as she looked at Mal. “Mal what do you have? Come here give it to me,” Ava told the toddler and Carlos just quickly gave the small girl a look. 

“Mal don’t do it. I’ll give you a strawberry ring pop,” Carlos whispered out to the toddler, but Ava just shook her head at him as she looked at the toddler. “Mal give me the paper,” Ava told the toddler who just looked back and forth between her two siblings trying to decide who to listen to. 

Finally after a few more minutes the toddler made up her mind as she handed the report card to Ava and Ava immediately uncrumbled it as as she read through it and then looked at Carlos who was trying to hide. 

Carlos just sighed as he knew he messed up, but he just wasn’t good at chemistry. It didn’t help that Jane was in his class though because he just couldn’t focus with her in the same class as him. 

They were really good friends and he also sorta has a huge crush on his friend, but he would never tell her that because he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship. 

Jane was the first one to not look at him like some weirdo when he first joined Auradon Prep. And she had been his first friend. He couldn’t lose that over some stupid crush.

Carlos was brought back to reality by the small toddler that was poking at him making him sigh as he looked at her and she gave him a smile.

“You in twabow! Mama sa so!” The young two year old told him as she then walked over to Ava and stood by her in the same position Ava was standing in making Ava laugh a little bit before getting stern again as she held up the paper. 

“Carlos seriously! You are failing chemistry! And you tried to hide this! When I get back and you get done with school we are having a long talk!” Ava told Carlos sternly. 

“Yeah!” The young toddler told Carlos trying to be like Ava and Carlos just gave his baby sister a look of betrayal as she had switched so fast. He left for a week and Mal already grew a huge attachment to Ava. 

He spent two years of his life looking after his baby sister and this is how she repays him. “Mal! I thought you and I were buddies! I took care of you for two years and this is how you choose to repay me!” Carlos told his sister who giggled as she ran to Ava and Ava picked her up.

“Face it Carlos. You left for a few weeks and now I’m back. She’s my mini me now. Anyway pay attention to class because you can’t afford another bad grade and I’ll be back and we will be talking about this chemistry grade later. Mal come on, we're leaving now. Say bye bye to Carlos,” Ava told the toddler as she placed her down and Mal ran to him and hugged him.

“Bye bye Cawos! See you wawew! Wob you dowy!” The small toddler told Carlos as she hugged him and Carlos smiled back as he hugged her back. 

“Bye my little puppy. I love you too even though you prefer Ava now and totally ratted me out,” Carlos told his baby sister who smiled as she released herself and ran back over to Ava. 

“Alright Carlos I’ll see you later and do not fail anymore classes,” Ava told Carlos as she picked up the toddler and left to go meet up with her friends. 

“Cawos in twabow,” the young girl told Ava as they were walking to meet up with Caitlin and Dylan and Ava just looked at the toddler as she nodded. 

“Yes he is Mal,” Ava told the toddler who gave her a cute smile. “I no in twabow wi,” the small girl asked Ava who laughed. “Not right now, but we’ll see how this goes,” Ava told the toddler playfully as they reached the destination where her, Dylan, and Caitlin all agreed to meet up to talk. 

  
  



	22. Is That A Threat?

“Mal stop running off!” Ava screamed out as she had made the mistake of placing Mal down for a second and she took off running far ahead. “I believe this belongs to you,” Dana told Ava as she handed her the toddler, making her completely freeze as she hated Dana. 

“You know you might want to try keeping more of an eye on her. Kids go missing all the time,” Dana told Ava, making her immediately pick up the toddler and hold her close to her as she didn’t like the way Dana said that. 

“Are you threatening my sister,” Ava asked Dana with an accusatory tone of voice making Dana just smile. “Of course not. I’m just saying kids her age go missing all the time. It wouldn’t be a surprise if she ended up like one of them with the way you seem to struggle with keeping her in your line of sight. I just want to make sure nothing happens to her that would be a tragedy now wouldn’t it,” Dana told Ava, making her roll her eyes. 

“Well it’s a good thing that we have so much security here that would catch anyone trying to do such a horrible thing. And don’t you have an office yet? I would complain,” Ava told Dana sarcastically, making Dana roll her eyes back.

“I have an office. It’s very nice, but I like to get out and explore the campus. It helps me get a feel for the place. And I was looking at your records you are very consciences about paying your tuition and you always pay with a cashiers check never a deposit account don’t you trust banks,” Dana told Ava and Ava knew exactly what Dana was doing, but she wouldn’t let her win. 

She basically had two kids now and she would not let them all go down for something their parents did. “Well it’s my money, so where I keep it is my business,” Ava told Dana back letting her know that she was going to break her that easily. “Yeah!” The small toddler screamed out making Dana roll her eyes. 

“I see you have been training her,” Dana told Ava as if talking about a pet. “She’s a toddler not a dog,” Ava told Dana sarcastically.”Well either way. As for the money thing that is true if it is your money,” Dana told Ava in an accusing tone making Ava roll her eyes. 

But she was saved when Alison showed up telling them to push back their study session which was code for their meetings about Dana making Ava immediately go along with it as she used it to her advantage to get away. 

Once they got away from Dana, Ava looked at the giggling toddler. “Okay Mal you seriously have to stop wandering off all the time. Do you know who that lady was,” Ava asked the toddler who shook her head no. 

“Well she is a very mean lady that wants to put me in jail. Do you know what jail is,” Ava asked the toddler who shook her head no. “Okay well jail is like a time out, but for adults and no Mal it’s longer than 2 minutes,” Ava told the toddler who looked at her in confusion. 

“Weawy! How mu wowew!” The small girl innocently asked her, making her sigh as she looked at the toddler.

“A lot longer Mal and if that happens then you and Carlos won’t get to be with me anymore, so please Mal I am begging you stay away from that lady okay,” Ava told the toddler as Dana’s words were concerning to her and she just knew Dana was planning on using Mal to get what she wants and Ava would not allow that to happen. 

“Otay mama!” The young two year old screamed out happily making Ava laugh as she realized how nice it was to have someone that depended on her. When they finally reached the track field like her and her friends agreed to meet up, her friends were already there waiting for her. 

“Hey what took you so long,” Caitlin asked Ava who just sighed. “Mama I wan dow!” The small toddler screamed out as she began to squirm making Ava sigh again as she placed the toddler down and the small girl just started running around and twirling in circles. 

“I think Dana just threatened my sister,” Ava told the others, making them look at her in shock as they knew Dana was a horrible person, but to threaten a two year old was just next level. “What do you mean? What happened?” Dylan asked Ava who sighed as she kept an eye on Mal who was twirling around. 

“I don’t know. I made the mistake of putting Mal down for a second and she took off running and then ran into Dana and when Dana gave her back to me she was acting all weird and she mentioned how kids go missing all the time and I should keep a better eye on her as it would just be a tragedy if she was to go missing! That’s a threat right!” Ava told her friends, making them just look at her as they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. 

“Okay who does she think she is! That was definitely a threat! Who threatens a child like that!” Caitlin told the others as she couldn’t believe Dana would be that horrible of a person to do something like that. 

“I know! That’s exactly what I thought when she said that! She better back off! I’m not letting anyone get Mal!” Ava screamed out making them nod. 

“Yeah and we will help you because that’s just so wrong. Anyway I made a decision about this whole Mason thing. I’m not going to let him take us down,” Caitlin told the others as they had been threatened by someone the other night and we're pretty sure it was Nolan’s ex best friend and Caitlin’s ex boyfriend Mason as he had been acting suspicious around them and told them he was the next Nolan.

“Yeah whatever it is I’m totally in just like how I’m totally in on making sure Dana doesn't get to Mal,” Dylan told the others who nodded in agreement. “Yeah it sounds like you have a plan. Mal! No! Don’t do that!” Ava told Caitlin and then the toddler when she saw the small girl trying to climb the bleachers. 

“I do id!” The small girl screamed out as she was determined to climb up those bleachers making Ava groan as she knew that if she let Mal climb up the bleachers it would end in disaster. Mal was still not very balanced yet on her feet. 

“I’ll be right back! Mal! No! Get down now!” Ava screamed out and the toddler just looked at her and smiled as she climbed up more on the bleachers. “No! I do id!” The small girl screamed out making Ava groan as she knew she would have to go get her down. 

“Alright fine climb up the bleachers, but I know you’re gonna end up getting scared and wanting down,” Ava told the toddler who just giggled as she climbed up the bleachers anyway and made it to the top, but immediately started crying when she wanted down, but was too scared. 

Ava just sighed as she made her way to the bleachers and got to the top as she picked up the crying toddler and brought her back down. “See I knew this would happen. You never want to listen to me. Okay Mal stop crying. I told you that would happen and you’re fine,” Ava told the toddler as she was getting sick of Mal not listening to her and then regretting it after something would happen like she told her would. 

“I sowy mama,” the small girl cried out, making Ava just sigh a little. “It’s okay Mal I’m not mad I just prefer for you to listen when I tell you things,” Ava told the toddler as she made it back to her friends. 

“Okay I’m back. So what’s your plan,” Ava asked Caitlin who held back a laugh as she just looked at the toddler that Ava was refusing to put down despite her squirming. “Are you sure you don’t want to just put her down,” Dylan asked Ava who sighed as she continued to struggle keeping Mal in her hold. 

“No because if I put her down she’ll get herself into more trouble and I don’t feel like dealing with that. I already have one kid in trouble. I don’t need a second one,” Ava told her friend who just nodded. While the toddler just giggled. 

“Cawos in twobow!” The small girl told Ava who laughed. “Yeah and if you don’t stop getting yourself into dangerous things then you are going to be like Carlos,” Ava playfully told the toddler causing her eyes to widen in shock as she immediately stopped squirming and just laid her head down on Ava.

That’s what I thought,” Ava told the toddler as she turned back to her friends. “I’m really sorry about that,” Ava told her friends who just nodded in understanding. 

“Anyway back to what I was saying I’m going to hang out with Mason,” Caitlin told the two wanting to change the subject making them both look at her like she was insane. “Okay bad plan!” Dylan told Caitlin and Ava agreed. “If Mason did what we think he did he’s a killer,” Dylan told Caitlin as he and Ava just looked at their friend in concern and shock as they couldn’t believe she would suggest something so dangerous. 

“I don’t think he wants to hurt me. We grew up together. We went trick or treating as kids,” Caitlin told them, trying to convince them that Mason wasn’t that dangerous, so she could talk to him and get him to leave them and their secrets alone. 

At the mention of trick or treating the small toddler got excited making Ava sigh as she just got the toddler to calm. “Twick Twee!” The small girl screamed out making Ava sigh. “No Mal no trick or treating yet. She was just talking about it, but we can’t go trick or treating yet,” Ava told the toddler who got upset. “I wan twick twee!” The small girl screamed out making Ava sigh as she looked at Mal. 

“Mal we can go on Halloween okay,” Ava told the small girl who smiled and calmed down. “Otay I wanna be a dwagin! Woaw!” Mal screamed out making Ava and the others laugh as they quickly went back to their conversation. 

“Yeah well back to what I was about to say I went trick or treating with this girl and she was a perfectly polite little mermaid until she sugar crashed and tried to light my hair on fire and kill my little brother because he got the most candy,” Ava told the others trying to convince Caitlin to not talk to Mason, but instead Caitlin just continued on until they all agreed. 

“Okay, but we’re gonna be there to back you up. Now we should probably go now. We have to meet up with Alison,” Dylan told the others who just nodded as they quickly left to go meet up at Alison’s house to discuss what was going to happen next. 

  
  



	23. Another Restless Night

Ava smiled as she looked at her friend Dylan who she had asked to come help her with her fashion show that she was a part of to show off her designs. It had been a few hours since they had left the track field and it was now late at night.

Carlos was studying for Chemistry in the other room as Ava found out he had a test coming up and immediately made him drop everything to study for it. And the small toddler was “sleeping” in her crib. 

Ava had put Mal to bed a while ago, but the toddler was just playing with her toys and not sleeping. “I want you to come on stage during the finale with your chello and I want you shredding something amazing. And leading my models down the runway like your the pied piper or something,” Ava told her friend as she was trying to plan her part for the fashion show and she knew her friend was a really good musician. 

Dylan smiled as he looked at his new friend. “You don’t want my chello you want,” Dylan told Ava as he clicked on the picture of an electric violin making Ava smile as she looked at it. Just as Ava was going to respond Carlos came in. 

“Ava we have a problem Mal won’t sleep like at all! I can’t study because all I hear is her talking to her toys and singing the baby shark song.” Carlos told his big sister who groaned as she looked at Dylan.

“I’ll be right back! I’m so sorry! I know you’re probably busy tonight and this is delaying things,” Ava told Dylan who had to hold back a laugh as he nodded. “Yeah it’s fine I get it,” Dylan told Ava who nodded as she ran to the crib.

“Okay Mal am I going to have to move the crib by my bed, so I know when you’re actually sleeping?” Ava asked the toddler who giggled as she held up her dragon. “Woaw! Mama pway wif me!” The small two year old told Ava making her sigh as she hated that fact that Mal never slept.

Ever since Mal and Carlos had come back she was barely getting any time for sleep. “Mal we can play in the morning. It’s late,” Ava told the toddler who just started crying. “Pway! Pway! Pway! I no nigh nigh! No nigh nigh!” The small toddler screamed out at the top of her lungs.

“See! I can’t study like this Ava! I’m going to fail another test because she won’t go to sleep,” Carlos told Ava in frustration making her sigh as she gave up. “Relax I’m getting her! Now if you fail you have no excuse! Alright Mal come on you can sit with me,” Ava told the toddler as she grabbed her from the crib making the toddler calm down as she giggled

“I’m back and I brought a little helper,” Ava told Dylan playfully, making him laugh as he looked at the two year old that had Ava wrapped around her tiny finger. “Okay well back to what we were talking about before… no Mal don’t touch the ipad! I’m so sorry!” Ava told Dylan as she was trying to talk to him about what she wanted him to help her with for her fashion show, but she kept getting distracted by the toddler.

Dylan just laughed again as he looked at the innocent little girl. “Nah it’s fine Ava, so what were you saying,” Dylan asked his friend as he could see she was stressed. They were all stressed with going to BHU, but Ava was definitely struggling more now that she was raising a toddler and a teenager.

“Okay good and I was just confused because I didn’t know you played the violin,” Ava told Dylan as she bounded her leg a little making Mal giggle. Dylan just smiled. “If it has four strings and a bo then yeah of course. You can rent it too is that in your budget,” Dylan told Ava who looked at the price as she internally sighed. That was a lot of extra money and she was already struggling now with trying to provide for three people one in which was a toddler which required more, but her friend did agree to help her and she did want the fashion show to go well.

This fashion show could make or break her career and now that she was basically a mom she needed her career to take off, so she could keep providing for Mal and Carlos. “Yeah I’ll just figure out a way to cover it somehow,” Ava told Dylan who just nodded nervously. “So did you think about what Alison said,” Dylan asked his friend, trying to change the subject.

After they had gone to the track field they went to Alison’s where she told them that sharing secrets can keep friends close and recommended that they share their secrets with each other. 

Ava just nodded as she looked at Dylan. “You mean about telling each other everything,” Ava asked her friend, making him nod. “”Yeah,” Dylan quietly told Ava as he was nervous. Ava just nodded. “Yeah you go first,” Ava told Dylan as she rocked a little trying to put the toddler to sleep.

Dylan just sighed as he knew his secret would crush Ava. Dylan didn’t want to do that. “I made a mistake that I’m always going to regret,” Dylan told Ava who nodded as she understood where he was coming from.

She had made a huge mistake that she was probably always going to regret as well. She basically abandoned her siblings and made them fend for themselves. And she didn’t even try to help or keep in contact with them. 

She was always going to regret doing that even now when she had them back. “If you tell me what it is I won’t judge you,” Ava told Dylan hoping to get closer with him and help him, but Dylan knew if he told Ava he would hurt her and end their new friendship.

“Not tonight I have to find a way to tell someone else first,” Dylan told Ava who just nodded. She was a little hurt that her friend didn’t trust her enough to tell her his secret, but she understood where he was coming from.

“Okay I can respect that. Anyway it’s getting kind of late. I’m going to see if I can try to put this adorable trouble maker to bed one more time before I go to the student union to help Caitlin. You’re coming right,” Ava told Dylan as they had agreed to be there as backup for Caitlin while she was talking to Mason. 

Dylan just nodded as he looked at the time. “Yeah I gotta do something first, but I should meet up with you two later. And good luck getting her to bed. I’ll see you later,” Dylan told Ava as he quickly left to go back to his dorm.

Once Dylan left Ava looked at the toddler. “Okay I let you stay up a little longer are you ready to sleep now,” Ava asked the toddler who shook her head no. “No! No wanna! I say wif you,” the small girl told Ava who sighed as she had to go to the student union to help backup her friend and she was planning on leaving Mal with Carlos.

“Mal come on it’s late and you get really cranky when you don’t sleep,” Ava told the toddler who just started crying again. “Okay fine, but if I’m taking you I’m taking Carlos too. Carlos!” Ava screamed out making the young boy put down his ipad that he was using to study on.

“Yeah what’s going on,” Carlos asked Ava who threw his shoes at him. “Put these on and grab your Ipad that you’re studying on! I have to do something at the student union and you’re coming with me! I don’t trust that you will study if I leave you here by yourself,” Ava told Carlos who groaned. 

“Ava it’s late!” Carlos whined out making Ava roll her eyes as she picked up Mal’s dragon and blanket that she cleaned and handed it to the toddler who just grabbed the items as she pointed to her bottle and pacifier. And yes Mal had gone backwards. She used her sippy cup for about a week before she stopped demanding her bottle again, but Ava honestly didn’t care anymore.

Ava just nodded as she grabbed the bottle and pacifier as she quickly filled up the bottle and handed it to the toddler who began to drink it. 

“I don’t care Carlos! You should have thought of that when you decided to fail Chemistry. If you were actually passing then I would probably trust you to stay here and study, but you’re not and I don’t. I don’t want to hear anymore complaining. You should be lucky I’m letting you stay at Auradon Prep. Now let’s go!” Ava told her little brother sternly, making him groan as he grabbed his stuff and followed Ava to the student union while the toddler was just clinging to Ava and smiling while drinking from her bottle peacefully. 

  
  



	24. A Late Night With A Stubborn Toddler

“Mama! Mama! Mama!” The small toddler screamed out loudly in the Student Union as she wanted to get Ava’s attention. Ava just sighed as they were supposed to be blending in, so that Mason didn’t know she was there spying on him, but the small girl was basically screaming. 

“Mal please we have to be quiet, people are trying to study like your brother for instance,” Ava told the toddler who just nodded as she kept screaming, but at a lower volume which was still loud. 

Carlos just groaned as he put down his ipad. “Ava I can’t study! Can I just go back to the room and study,” Carlos asked Ava in frustration as he really was trying to study, but everytime he would try the small girl would start being loud again making him lose all concentration.

Ava just sighed as she looked at Carlos and the toddler that had upgraded from screaming to now twirling around and singing Let It Go making Ava wince she wasn’t supposed to make it obvious that she was there. 

“Alright fine, but if you fail that test because I let you go back and you didn’t study then you will be grounded and I will pull you from Auradon Prep got it!” Ava told her little brother who nodded as he quickly grabbed his stuff and went back to the dorm to study. 

Once Carlos left Ava just looked at the small girl that was still twirling around and singing Let It Go. 

“Mal hey come here! Seriously Mal it’s late and people are trying to study. You should be glad that I let you stay up right now,” Ava told the toddler who groaned as she stopped twirling and ran over to Ava. 

Ava sighed in relief when the small girl finally calmed down as she sat in Ava’s lap and drank her bottle while watching Dragon Tales on Ava’s laptop until she eventually fell asleep. Ava continued to watch Caitlin and Mason and as soon as she saw Mason leave she quickly made her way over while still holding the sleeping two year old. 

Ava sighed when she tried to talk to her friend, but she quickly pushed her away as she just left making Ava sigh in frustration as she could tell something was up with her new sorta friend, but she just didn’t know what and it was too late to go after her now. 

She would just have to talk about it in the morning. Ava just picked up the sleeping toddler again as she started to walk back to her dorm. Ava groaned when just as she was reaching the dorm the sleeping two year old began to stir as she opened her eyes.

“Mama? Wew go?” The small girl groggily called out making Ava groan as she knew she was screwed again if Mal stayed up. 

“Nowhere Mal we’re just going home please just go back to sleep it’s late,” Ava told the toddler hoping the small girl would be tired enough to go back to sleep, but unfortunately luck was never on her side as the small girl just stretched and woke up more. 

Ava sighed when she knew she was in for another long night as she went to Mal’s crib and placed the toddler in the crib causing her to immediately start giggling as she held onto the side and started bouncing. 

Ava just groaned as she looked at the bouncing toddler. “Mal what are you doing!” Ava asked the small girl in annoyance as she just wanted to sleep and Carlos had already gone to bed for the night. Mal just giggled more as she continued to jump. 

“Wee!” The small girl screamed out, making Ava get frustrated as she had a long night already and just wanted to crash in her bed. “No Mal stop jumping in the crib!” Ava screamed out making the toddler jump more.

“No! No! No!” The small girl screamed out to Ava as she just kept bouncing in her crib making Ava get more frustrated. “Mal it is 2 in the morning and I am tired!” Ava told the toddler who just giggled and kept bouncing again. 

“Pway!” The small toddler screamed out making Ava groan as she didn’t want to do this. Everynight was the same with the small girl. She would sleep for maybe an hour or two before waking up and demanding they play. 

Ava just groaned as she looked at the toddler. “Mal I have a huge project that I have to work on soon and I can’t be tired!” Ava begged out to the small girl hoping that Mal would listen for once, but instead the toddler just didn’t care.

“Pway! Pway! Pway!” The young girl screamed out making Ava groan again. “Mal why can’t you just be an easy toddler!” Ava screamed out as she loved her sister, but she just couldn’t handle how the small girl didn’t listen or sleep ever.

Mal just giggled again knowing she won as she held up her dragon. “Pway!” The small girl told Ava, making Ava groan as she gave in picking up the toddler and taking her out of the crib.

“Okay fine! I give up! Mal you win!” Ava screamed out making the toddler giggle and clap her hands excitedly in victory. “Yay! Pway!” The young girl screamed out excitedly as she ran over to her toys and started handing them all to Ava, so they could play. 

Ava just laughed as she looked at the excited toddler who was giggling happily as Ava was playing toys with her making her happy and Ava just smiled as she realized it was worth the lack of sleep to see her baby sister so excited.

They continued to play around with the toys until they both ended up passing out. Ava woke up the next day to Carlos who poured water on her after he found her passed out on the floor surrounded by Mal’s toys and Mal who was sleeping cuddled up next to her. 

The young boy had immediately jumped at the opportunity to mess with his big sister. Ava just quickly jumped up as she looked at Carlos in annoyance. “What did you do! Why would you pour water on me!” Ava screamed out making Carlos laugh as he quickly put on a fake innocent look. 

“I was scared! You were sleeping on the floor and not your bed and you weren’t responding when I called your name!” Carlos told Ava in a fake concerned voice making her roll her eyes as she didn’t believe him for even a second.

“Sure that’s why you did that and you’re lucky you didn’t pour that on Mal or I swear…” Ava began to say as the toddler stirred and woke up. Carlos just laughed again as he looked at his sister that was soaking wet. 

“Oh come on it was just a joke and I’m not stupid I would never pour a bucket of water on a two year old. So why were you sleeping on the floor anyway,” Carlos asked Ava who sighed as she got up and changed herself and Mal. 

“Mal made me play with her at 2 in the morning,” Ava told Carlos, making him laugh. “Ha! I remember those days! So glad it’s your problem now!” Carlos told Ava playfully, making her laugh and roll her eyes. 

“Haha,” Ava sarcastically told Carlos, making them both start laughing. “Okay but for real I hope you’re ready for that test,” Ava told her brother, making Carlos nod. 

“Oh I’m ready for this test! I studied for hours!” Carlos told Ava who just smiled and nodded as she picked up the hyper toddler that ran past her. “Okay good! And where do you think you’re going silly,” Ava playfully asked the toddler as she tickled her making the small girl giggle.

“Hehe mama sop id da tiwals!” The small girl told Ava, making her laugh as she stopped tickling the toddler. “Okay fine! But come on you are coming with me to talk to Dylan,” Ava told the toddler making her smile. “Yay!” The small girl screamed out making Ava laugh as she looked at Carlos.

“Alright well I’m going over to Dylan’s you’ll be alright here by yourself right and you’re still gonna focus in school,” Ava told Carlos who laughed and rolled his eyes. “Yes Ava I’m not a baby now go talk to your friend I can tell you’re upset about something. I promise I’ll focus,” Carlos told Ava who nodded.

“Okay good!” Ava told Carlos as she hugged him goodbye and then carried the toddler to her friend Dylan’s dorm as she wanted to talk to him about Caitlin and how strange she had acted the night before. 

  
  



	25. Enter Evie The Tutor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I am really really really sorry for taking such a long time to update this story, but I was trying to think of a good way to introduce Evie since I decided to add her in this, but I was trying to come up with a good way. I finally figured it out thanks to @livs12345 on Wattpad, so thank you so much for the idea as it finally helped me to continue on with this story as I now have a whole lot more ideas that I can do with this concept. Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you thought. And I promise I will definitely not take over a month to update this again. 

Carlos groaned as he looked at the test questions as he had no clue how to answer any of them despite him studying all night. Ava was out with Mal to his relief otherwise he would be in serious trouble for what he was about to do.

“Okay I quit! This is impossible!” Carlos screamed out as he just started guessing on all the questions as he didn’t care anymore.

There was no way he was going to get a good grade on that test. “WHAT! I GOT A 40! AVA IS GONNA KILL ME!” Carlos screamed out as he finished his test and got back his results immediately.

Carlos froze when he got a call from the headmistress at Auradon Prep aka Fairy GodMother as she made them all call her that as it was apparently some fantasy of hers. Carlos just sighed as he knew this wasn’t a good sign.

“Hello?” Carlos asked as soon as he picked up the phone. Fairy GodMother just sighed as she answered.

“Carlos, we need to talk about this chemistry grade of yours. You are a smart kid, but Carlos this Chemistry grade is unacceptable. Unfortunately if you can’t bring this grade up I will be forced to hold you back next year. I really don’t want to do that because you are a good kid and you are Jane’s best friend, but unfortunately I will have to if you can’t bring up the grade. Now I will give you a chance to bring it up. We have a new student that just joined us. Her name is Evie and she is a genius when it comes to Chemistry. She has agreed to help you bring up your grade. In fact she can come over starting today if you agree,” Fairy GodMother told Carlos, making him stare at the phone in shock.

He could fail freshman year. Oh Ava was definitely gonna kill him. “Yes please! I’ll do anything just please please please don’t hold me back! My sister will literally kill me if she finds out! And please don’t tell Ava! If she finds out I’m on the verge of failing Freshman year I’m dead!” Carlos screamed out as he began to panic.

Fairy GodMother just sighed as she had grown a liking for Carlos. He was her daughter’s best friend/secret crush and she knew how much of a hard worker he was and how much he sacrificed to raise his baby sister by himself at the age of 12. 

And she knew how much of a good kid he was. “Alright I’ll tell you what. If you can manage to bring up that Chemistry grade with Evie’s help then I will keep quiet about all of this because I know you are a good student and I understand that you are trying your best,” Fairy GodMother told Carlos making him sigh in relief as she wasn’t going to tell his big sister.

“Thank you so much! You’re the best! I promise I won’t let you down! I’m gonna bring up that grade!” Carlos screamed out, making Fairy GodMother laugh at his enthusiasm. “ Okay great well Evie should be there really soon. She’s a very nice girl and I think she can really help you. Now I should get back to work. Bye Carlos and good luck!” Fairy GodMother told Carlos as she hung up.

Carlos just sighed as he sat down on Ava’s bed and just tried to take in all the information. If he couldn’t manage to get his Chemistry grade up he would be held back and Ava would kill him, but if he could bring it up he would be fine.

Carlos was brought out of his thoughts when the door opened and he was immediately met with a tiny girl jumping on top of him. “Cawos!” The small toddler screamed out as she hugged onto her big brother making him laugh as he hugged the small girl back.

“Hey pup! What are you doing here,” Carlos playfully told his baby sister making her laugh as she pointed to Ava. “Mama hab a wowk!” The small girl screamed out as she pointed to Ava who came back home after talking with Dylan and was just about to focus on finishing up her designs as she had a big fashion show coming up. 

Carlos just quickly looked up as he saw Ava. “Oh hey Ava!” Carlos quickly called out nervously making her look at him in confusion as he was acting weird. “Um hey… are you okay? You’re acting weird… wait you failed that test didn’t you!” Ava screamed out making Carlos give her a fake shocked look.

“What! No, I told you I was prepared for that test! I definitely didn't fail! Oh look Mal’s coloring on the walls again!” Carlos screamed out quickly as he tried to change the subject. 

“Wait what! Mal no! Mal Jalali drop the markers now!” Ava screamed out as she had looked over and saw that the toddler was indeed coloring on the walls with her purple marker. Carlos just sighed in relief as he watched Ava turn her attention to the toddler.

“Mal Jalali I am not kidding! Stop coloring on the walls right now! We talked about this! We don’t color on walls!” Ava screamed out to the toddler who just gave her an innocent smile. “Pweawy! No Sop!” The small girl told Ava as she continued to draw on the walls.

“Alright that’s it! I gave you a warning and you wouldn’t stop! It’s time for a time out!” Ava screamed out as she was getting sick of the toddler trying to go behind her orders. She was in charge and Mal needed to listen to her.

Mal just started screaming and crying when Ava picked her up as she didn’t want a time out. “NO! NO! NO! I NO WAN TIMOW! NO! WE GO! WE GO! NO! NO! NO! I BEHAB! I BEHAB! NO TIMOW! NO TIMOW!” The small toddler screamed out at the top of her lungs as she continued to kick and thrash.

Ava just groaned as she hated this, but Mal needed to start listening to her. “Mal stop it! It’s not going to work on me! I told you at least 3 times to stop coloring on the wall and you kept doing it. This is your punishment. You are going to sit in your crib for two minutes and if you get out it’ll be longer!” Ava screamed out as she placed Mal down in her crib making Mal start screaming more as she was hoping to break Ava.

“NO! I WAN OW! I WAN OW!” The small two year old screamed out as she held onto the side of her crib. “Mal I told you 2 minutes! You can scream and cry all you want, but I’m not letting you out! I’ll be back in 2 minutes Mal,” Ava told the toddler as she walked back over to her desk and started to work on her designing.

“I WAN OW!” The small toddler screamed out from her crib making Carlos look at Aa who was just completely ignoring her cries as she was focusing. “Ava aren’t you going to make her stop crying,” Carlos whined out as he hated hearing the sounds of crying especially when he was supposed to have his new tutor over any minute now.

He didn’t want to scare her away before even meeting her as she was his only hope at this point. Ava just rolled her eyes as she looked at Carlos. “No she’ll stop eventually when she realizes nobody is paying attention to her. That’s what mom and dad used to do with you,” Ava told Carlos, making him look at her in shock.

“Wait what!” Carlos screamed out in shock, but before Ava could respond there was a knock at the door and Carlos immediately ran to the door as he knew who it was. “Hi I’m Evie and I heard you needed some Chemistry help,” Evie told Carlos with a smile as she introduced herself making Carlos look at her in complete shock when he saw that Evie looked almost exactly identical to Ava except a little younger and the hair was different. 

Carlos quickly snapped out of his shock as he held out his hand. “Hey yeah I do and I’m Carlos. Come on in,” Carlos told Evie as he tried to push away his shock. Evie just smiled as she came inside the dorm and Ava immediately looked at her in both shock and confusion. 

“Carlos who is that!” Ava screamed out as she had no clue who this girl was that her little brother let into the dorm without permission, but the girl looked identical to her only a little younger and with blue hair. 

  
  



	26. Tutoring With A Toddler = A Bad Idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you all thought. And again I’m really sorry for the long wait. 

Evie just pushed away her shock as she smiled and held her hand out to Ava. “Hi I’m Evie and I’m Carlos’ new Chemistry tutor,” Evie told Ava sweetly making Ava look at both Carlos and Evie in shock.

“Okay you know what I’m too tired for this. I’m going to be sketching some designs in the student union,” Ava told the teens as she left forgetting about the toddler that was still crying in her time out. “Wait Ava!” Carlos began, but Ava had already left making him sigh as he knew they were stuck with Mal.

“Okay well I guess we should,” Carlos began, but didn’t get to finish as he noticed Evie wasn’t by him anymore as Evie was by the crib playing with the small toddler that was no longer crying as she was giggling. 

“Aww whose a little cutie pie! You’re a little cutie pie!” Evie cooed out to the toddler as she couldn’t help herself. Evie just loved kids so much. Carlos just laughed as he walked over to Evie and picked up the toddler.

“I thought we were supposed to be working on Chemistry,” Carlos playfully told Evie, making her laugh. “Oh yeah! I’m sorry I just heard her crying and I couldn’t help myself. I love babies so much and hearing her crying made me sad,” Evie told Carlos who nodded as he placed the toddler down.

“Yeah, but she was also in time out for not listening to our big sister who is in charge,” Carlos told Evie who just nodded. “Yeah I got that, but still she’s just too cute!” Evie cooed out again as she picked up the toddler when she ran past her.

Carlos just smiled as he looked at the happy toddler that seemed to really love Evie most likely because Evie looked like Ava, but he loved seeing his baby sister happy. “Yeah you got that right, but I really do need to pass that Chemistry retake. I don’t feel like repeating 9th grade,” Carlos told Evie who laughed as she knew he was right.

“Okay yeah you’re right. Alright let’s start with the basics,” Evie began as she pulled out some Chemistry worksheets as she began to help Carlos with his learning. While Evie and Carlos were focusing on Chemistry the small toddler that Evie had been playing with earlier got bored as no one was playing with her anymore.

“Cawos!” The small girl cried out as she poked at her big brother trying to get him to pay attention to her. Carlos just groaned as he loved his baby sister, but he was trying to study, so he didn’t fail 9th grade.

“Not now Mal I’m busy,” Carlos told the toddler making her upset as she started crying. “Carlos that was kinda mean,” Evie told Carlos, making him sigh. “Mal I’m sorry, but we can play later okay. I really have to work on this,” Carlos told his baby sister, making her calm down as she nodded.

“Okay well that’s better now back to where we were. If you don’t switch this over with this then you won’t get the right answer,” Evie began as she continued to help Carlos again. Mal just sighed as she sat down and played with her toys, but she was still bored and she wanted attention.

The small two year old smiled when she saw the door was slightly open as she made her way towards it. She knew she got in trouble last time, but Mal didn’t care. She was desperate for attention at this point.

Mal just made sure Carlos and Evie were distracted before she quickly snuck through the small opening and took off exploring looking for someone to play with. “Okay I think that concludes our lesson for today,” Evie told Carlos after they had been working for a few hours.

“Yeah I agree, so do you wanna stay and hang out or go home. I mean it’s up to you. I just thought since you’re new and stuff you might not have too many friends yet,” Carlos rambled out making Evie laugh.

“Yeah sure I can stay. I mean it’s not like I have anywhere to be right now. Ooh and I want to see that adorable little cutie pie,” Evie told Carlos, making him laugh again before he realized he didn’t see Mal as he began to panic.

“Oh no! Where is Mal!” Carlos panicked out as he realized that Mal wasn’t in the room. “Was that door open before,” Evie asked Carlos, trying to help as she was worried too. Carlos just looked up at the door that was halfway opened as he began to freak out more. 

“No! She must have snuck out! Oh god! Ava is gonna kill me and she could be anywhere! I have to find her!” Carlos rambled out while panicking. “I’ll come with you! Two people is better than one! And I don’t want anything to happen to that innocent little cutie,” Evie told Carlos who nodded as they both quickly left in search of the small girl.

While Carlos and Evie were searching for the small girl, Mal was making her way around campus just looking for people that would play with her. Mal smiled when someone came up to her and started to interact with her.

“Aw hi kid are you lost,” Mason asked the small girl who was about to respond, but didn’t get a chance as Ava who had been sketching designs for her fashion show saw the small girl by Mason as she got angry.

“What are you doing! Get away from my sister Mason!” Ava screamed out as she grabbed Mal from him as she still hated Mason and didn’t want him anywhere near her baby sister. 

Mason just rolled his eyes as he looked at Ava. “I didn’t do anything. She came up to me. Maybe if you learned how to take better care of your sister we wouldn’t be in this situation,” Mason told Ava back, making her angry as she was sick of people making those comments about her.

Ava just quickly picked up the small girl and her sketchbook as she stormed off. She was angry at Mason, but she was also angry at Carlos who apparently couldn’t handle staying with the toddler for a little bit while she worked.

“Mama aw you ma,” the small toddler asked Ava as she could sense Ava sounded upset. Ava just sighed as she made her way to the dorm placing her sketchbook down as she grabbed her phone after seeing Carlos wasn’t in the dorm. 

“Yes Mal I am mad. You shouldn’t have been wandering around by yourself, but I don’t blame you this time. I blame Carlos and that other girl that looks weirdly like me,” Ava told the toddler who nodded as she laid her head down on Ava while Ava started to call Carlos to yell at him for letting Mal get out of the dorm by herself. 

  
  



	27. How To Get Out Of A Lecture

“Ugh where is she!” Carlos screamed out in frustration after they had been looking for the toddler for 30 minutes now and he was starting to really panic. They had checked all of Mal’s favorite spots, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Just as Carlos was about to break down his phone rang and he saw it was Ava causing him to panic as he didn’t know that Ava already found Mal and knew that he lost her. “Oh no!” Carlos screamed out in panic making Evie look at him in both confusion and concern as she didn’t understand what was going on.

“What’s wrong,” the young girl asked her new friend who just sighed as he tried to calm himself, but he was freaking out. “Ava is calling! She’s gonna flip if she finds out I lost Mal,” Carlos told Evie with panic in his voice. 

Evie just nodded as she quickly got an idea as she didn’t even let Carlos process what was happening. She just quickly grabbed his phone and answered it for Carlos not wanting Carlos to get in trouble and she knew Ava couldn’t do anything to her.

“Hello can I help you,” Evie said over the phone in her sweet voice making Ava who had been trying to call Carlos get upset. “Where is Carlos,” Ava asked Evie who just looked at Carlos who was panicking as she answered again.

“Oh he’s um… getting food. He left his phone with me though. What’s wrong,” Evie asked Ava in her fake innocent voice making Ava roll her eyes as she knew that tone. It was almost exactly the same tone she would give to people like Dana.

“Oh please I’m not stupid. Where is my brother,” Ava told Evie in her stern voice making Evie sigh as she knew Ava was too smart for this and it was just going to be an endless cycle. “I’m sorry I tried,” Evie quickly told Carlos who just nodded sadly as he took the phone from Evie who just walked off to the side and sat down not wanting to get involved when it wasn’t her business.

“Oh um hey Ava. Why are you calling,” Carlos told Ava, trying to act like everything was normal when he was still panicking inside. “Oh I was just calling because someone wants to say hi,” Ava told Carlos in her tone that Carlos was always afraid of.

It was Ava’s way of saying she was angry without flat out saying it. “Wait who wants to,” Carlos began but was interrupted when Ava handed the phone to the toddler who giggled as she held the phone up.

“HEWO!” The small two year old screamed out excitedly before handing the phone right back to Ava and running off to play with her toys. “Wait you found Mal! I mean…” Carlos rambled out as he was so excited that Mal was safe he totally forgot about the fact that he was the one who lost her.

“Save it Carlos! I already knew you lost her! I found her wandering around the Student Union by herself and she was trying to talk to Mason who I can’t stand. I trusted you to watch her for a few hours while I worked on some designs and you couldn’t even do that,” Ava screamed out over the phone making Carlos wince at Ava’s harsh tone.

He hated whenever his big sister got angry especially when he hadn’t meant to let Mal get out. The small girl was just sneaky and small it was easy for her to get past them. “Ava I didn’t mean to! I was studying, so I don’t fail freshman year and she snuck out!” Carlos told his sister in frustration as he was getting defensive and he didn’t even realize his mistake until it was too late.

“WHAT!” Ava screamed out making Carlos’ eyes widen as he realized what he just did. “Ava I can explain that,” Carlos quickly told his big sister hoping to stop things from escalating as he knew he was making things worse for himself.

“You’re failing 9th grade!” Ava asked in disbelief making Carlos gulp in fear as he knew he was a goner for sure, but just as Carlos was about to say something again the phone was once again stolen from his hands as Evie who had been trying to stay out of it couldn’t take it anymore.

She knew what it was like to constantly try your best and still not be good enough as her mom was constantly yelling at her and making her feel bad about herself when she was doing all she could to be the perfect daughter. And because of this she knew Carlos was trying. He just didn’t understand it, but that wasn’t his fault and that was why she was there.

“Hi Ava right. You need to stop treating Carlos like that. He’s trying his best, trust me. I’ve been tutoring other kids too and they don’t care. They just want me to do the work for them like that annoying jerk Chad, but Carlos is different. He is actually trying and we’ve made a lot of progress. It’s my fault Mal got out. I opened the door to leave and I must have forgotten to close it when I decided to stay. I’m so sorry, but please don’t blame Carlos,” Evie told Ava, making Carlos look at her in shock as no one had ever stepped up like that for him before except for Ava back before all this happened. 

Evie was like a younger, more sweeter version of Ava and it was honestly starting to freak him out a little. “Okay I’ll tell him bye,” Evie told Ava as she hung up then handed the phone back to Carlos.

“So what did she say,” Carlos asked Evie nervously, making Evie just sigh as she looked at the young boy. “She said she wants us to come back now,” Evie told Carlos who just nodded as they both walked back to Ava’s dorm.

Once they got back to the dorm Carlos took a deep breath as he was prepared for screaming, but instead he was met with a hug as Ava pulled him into a tight hug making Carlos look at his sister in shock not knowing what to do as he wasn’t expecting this reaction.

“Okay what is going on,” Carlos asked his big sister, making Ava laugh a little as she released him.

“I just realized that I’ve been really frustrated and stressed lately and due to that I’ve been taking it out on you and I shouldn’t be. And I’m sorry for not being understanding, but I just want you to succeed. I should have done it in a better way though. Look I’m still new at this whole parenting thing and to be honest I have no idea what I’m doing,” Ava told Carlos making him laugh as he couldn’t help it.

“Oh yeah no kidding. Mal is two and still drinks from a bottle,” Carlos playfully told Ava, making her laugh as she picked up the toddler that was sucking on her bottle. “Hey in my defense you did that. I’ve just given up on taking it away. I’m sure she’ll grow out of it anyway,” Ava told Carlos as she bounced the toddler making them all laugh forgetting that Evie was still there.

“Um I hate to interrupt your family moment, but I just realized I missed the last bus and I can’t drive yet due to my age,” Evie told the others as she felt awkward just watching the siblings.

“Oh right I forgot. You can just stay here for the night,” Carlos told Evie without even talking to Ava first. “Wait what,” Ava asked in shock as she didn’t agree to Carlos just inviting some kid to stay, but just as Ava was about to tell Evie no that she couldn’t stay there she got a weird feeling and for some reason decided against it.

“Okay fine one night,” Ava told Carlos and Evie, making them smile excitedly. “Okay great thanks Ava! Come on Evie let’s take Dude to the park! Bye Ava see you soon,” Carlos quickly told Ava as he left with Evie leaving Ava alone with the toddler.

Ava just sighed as she looked at the toddler. "Well Mal it’s just you and me, so do you want to help me design," Ava asked the small who giggled as she nodded.

"Okay great! Wait I forgot something! I'll be right back, don't move Mal!” Ava told the toddler as she placed her down and went to look through her stuff trying to find

her sketchbook with her designs.

While Ava was doing that the small toddler found herself wandering towards another box as she started to play in the box. Ava just signed when she finally found her sketch book, but found the small girl now playing in some box she had never seen before.

“Okay Tiny let's get you out of there and where did you get this paper, " Ava playfully told the toddler as she picked her up from the box and took the paper that Mal had been chewing on away.

Ava was left in complete shock when she actually got a look at the paper and started to read it. “Oh my god!” Ava practically screamed in shock and disbelief as she just kept staring at the papers and reading through them not knowing what to do.

  
  



End file.
